The Nigeria Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has announced a major push to unlock $20 billion in gas investments through the review of 215 gas utilization projects across the country.
Priority Projects Identified for Rapid Development
Speaking at the Gas Utilisation Unlock Validation Series during the 43rd annual conference of the Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists in Lagos, NMDPRA Chief Executive Engr. Farouk Ahmed revealed that 70 high-impact projects have been identified as top priority from the initial 215 under review.
These selected projects demonstrate a combined potential demand of 15 billion standard cubic feet of gas per day, representing a significant opportunity to accelerate Nigeria's transition to a gas-powered economy.
Strategic Clusters and Job Creation Potential
The authority has categorized the projects across six major demand clusters that span critical sectors of the economy:
- Power generation
- Fertilizer production
- Petrochemicals
- Industrial feedstock
- CNG and LPG distribution
- Export markets
Ahmed emphasized that successful implementation of these projects would create thousands of jobs and drive substantial industrial growth across Nigeria.
Overcoming Barriers to Gas Sector Growth
The NMDPRA boss acknowledged several challenges facing Nigeria's gas sector development, including infrastructure gaps, regulatory overlaps, and market uncertainties that have historically hindered progress.
To address these issues, the Decade of Gas Secretariat has initiated a three-week validation exercise to align gas demand with supply, establish appropriate pricing frameworks, and identify necessary infrastructure and support systems.
"This validation series is not merely an audit of projects but a springboard for accelerated implementation," Ahmed stated. "Each project team will work closely with the NMDPRA and the Decade of Gas Secretariat to validate assumptions, remove bottlenecks, and assign clear responsibilities and timelines."
Ambitious 2030 Targets
The Minister of State for Petroleum (Gas), Rt. Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo, reinforced the government's commitment during his keynote address at the NAPE convention. He indicated that the Decade of Gas initiative could help Nigeria increase gas production by an additional 4.7 billion cubic feet per day by 2030.
This ambitious plan, originally launched in 2020 by former President Muhammadu Buhari, aims to transform Nigeria into a gas-driven industrial powerhouse while harnessing the country's over 200 trillion cubic feet of proven natural gas reserves.
Ahmed urged all stakeholders to collaborate strategically, noting that "time is not on our side" and emphasizing the need to begin commissioning critical gas development projects within the next 12 to 24 months.
