Shell Nigeria Gas (SNG) has emphasized that expanding gas distribution infrastructure and strengthening the market-making roles of gas distributors are essential to transforming the country's vast gas resources into a viable driver of industrial growth. The company noted that sustained investments in pipeline networks over the past decades have helped shift gas from a policy aspiration into a practical energy solution for industries across Nigeria.
SNG Managing Director speaks at ALDG forum
Speaking at a panel session on "Building a Bankable Gas Distribution Ecosystem: Infrastructure, Capital and Market Demand" during the second business forum of the Association of Local Distributors of Gas (ALDG) in Abuja, SNG Managing Director Ralph Gbobo highlighted the importance of long-term industrial vision and infrastructure commitment. Represented by Head of Gas Distribution, Chukwuka Amos-Ejesi, Gbobo recalled the company's early operations in the Agbara–Ota industrial corridor, noting that initial market conditions were uncertain but strategically important for future growth.
"When SNG started in Agbara–Ota over 20 years ago, demand was nowhere near what it is today. The economics was not perfect, but there was a leap of faith anchored on Nigeria's industrialisation trajectory. That decision has proven right," he said.
Aligning infrastructure with industrial expansion
Gbobo explained that the evolution of gas demand in Nigeria has reinforced the importance of aligning infrastructure development with industrial expansion. He noted that market confidence improves as utilisation deepens. SNG's experience showed that when demand ambition, supply certainty, enabling infrastructure, and commercial clarity come together—even if not perfectly at the start—they create industrial clusters capable of attracting long-term investment.
"Sustainability and bankability emerge over time, as utilisation deepens and confidence builds," he pointed out.
Forum focuses on gas access and industrialisation
The forum, themed 'From Gas Abundance to Gas Access: Reassessing Nigeria's Gas Distribution Imperatives', brought together industry stakeholders to examine pathways to improve domestic gas access and accelerate industrialisation through energy transition strategies. Participants emphasised the need for clear, supportive, and credible policy frameworks to enhance gas utilisation and attract capital into the sector.
Gbobo noted that recent policy reforms had played a major role in strengthening investor confidence and reducing uncertainty in the domestic gas market. The event highlighted the critical role of gas distribution infrastructure in unlocking Nigeria's industrial potential.
