The federal government says infrastructure, financing and market access must expand alongside Nigeria’s gas resources to support energy transition and economic growth.

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, said this at the 2026 Energy Conference organised by the Association of Energy Correspondents of Nigeria (NAEC) on Thursday in Lagos.

Mr Ekpo, represented by his Senior Technical Adviser on Transition Energy and Gas, Abel Nsa, said Nigeria’s proven gas reserves stood at about 215 trillion cubic feet (TCF) as of January 2026.

He said infrastructure was critical to converting the reserves into reliable energy and economic value.

“Infrastructure is the bridge between our resources and the industries, power plants, businesses and households that need them,” he said.

Mr Ekpo identified the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) and Obiafu-Obrikom-Oben (OB3) pipelines as critical infrastructure for expanding gas supply and domestic utilisation.

He said financing must also support gas infrastructure, production and other projects across the value chain.

According to him, stronger markets were needed to attract investment and ensure that gas resources generated sustainable commercial returns.

The minister said gas must increasingly support productive sectors and expand domestic energy access.

He noted, “Gas must increasingly serve as a catalyst for industrialisation, power generation, transportation, manufacturing, fertiliser production and LPG adoption.”

Mr Ekpo said the approach aligned with the federal government’s decade of gas initiative to deepen domestic gas utilisation and investment.

He said Nigeria must also strengthen indigenous participation across the gas value chain.

“Nigerian Content must continue to evolve from participation in contracts to ownership of capabilities, technology, capital and assets,” Mr Ekpo said.

He added that greater indigenous capacity would strengthen Nigeria’s ability to develop and utilise its gas resources.

Mr Ekpo said the government would continue to promote investment in gas production, infrastructure and domestic utilisation.

He said developing the country’s gas resources would support power generation, industrialisation and broader economic growth.

The minister stated that gas would remain important to Nigeria’s energy strategy as the country pursued cleaner energy sources and wider access to energy.

The conference had the theme, “Access to Assets: Empowering Players and Driving Growth.”

(NAN)