By Bassey Udo
The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to leveraging its oil and gas endowments to drive industrialization, energy security, and economic growth.
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, who stated this at the National Gas Day session during the 9th Nigeria International Energy Summit (NIES 2026) in Abuja on Thursday, described natural gas as a critical bridging fuel for Nigeria’s economic growth.
Ekpo said Nigeria stands at a defining moment in the global energy landscape, with her gas reserves estimated at 210.54 trillion standard cubic feet, the largest in Africa and ninth globally.
He said the country’s true gas wealth must be measured by its impact on lives and livelihoods, pointing out that the real value of Nigeria’s gas resources was not in reserves alone, but in megawatts (electricity) delivered to homes and industries, jobs created, foreign exchange earned, and peace enabled through access to clean and reliable energy.
He said Nigeria’s natural gas supports expanded electricity access, industrialisation, energy poverty reduction and climate commitments under the Renewed Hope Agenda of the present administration and the Decade of Gas Initiative.
Ekpo highlighted key milestones achieved under the Tinubu administration, including the domestication of locally produced liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to stabilise supply and pricing, the resolution of decades-long gas-to-power legacy debts, and Nigeria’s strengthened global standing following the election of a Nigerian as Secretary-General of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF).
He also noted the nationwide rollout of the Free LPG Cylinder Distribution Programme across all six geopolitical zones, accelerating clean cooking adoption, improving public health and reducing deforestation.
Gas, he noted, currently fuels over 70 percent of Nigeria’s on-grid electricity generation, with the government intensifying efforts to strengthen the gas-to-power value chain through long-term supply agreements, infrastructure expansion, and the establishment of a National Gas Infrastructure Command Centre, recently approved by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Speaking at the closing ceremony of the conference, the Minister of State for Petroleum (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri,
described the 2026 edition of the summit as the most impactful since its inception, citing unprecedented participation by high-level policymakers, investors, and global industry leaders.
“This is the third edition I have been privileged to attend as Minister, and each year it keeps getting better”, the Minister said, adding that the quality of participation witnessed in this year’s edition surpassed anything seen at conferences anywhere in the world,
The Minister applauded the extensive planning and coordination that went into organising a summit of such scale, saying its success ultimately depended on the calibre of participation.
NIES 2026 Summit, he noted, recorded one of the highest concentrations of quality attendance ever witnessed at any global energy conference at either Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) in Houston, or a similar event in South Africa and London.
The Minister challenged industry stakeholders to mobilise resources and invest in domestic infrastructure that would position Nigeria as a destination for global energy dialogue.
“Every year, Nigerian companies spend huge sums to acquire exhibition spaces abroad. It is time we built a world-class energy and events centre here in Nigeria and bring the rest of the world to us,” he stated.
Senator Lokpobiri disclosed that land has already been acquired for the proposed global energy events centre, adding that the government would soon engage industry players on the project’s implementation.
He noted that the industry take ownership of the initiative, build it and engage world class managers to run it sustainably in line with global standards.
“I am hopeful that this project will commence immediately within my tenure,” he added.
In her remarks at the ceremony, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Patience N. Oyekunle, expressed appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for his visionary leadership and sustained support for energy sector reforms, as well as to Vice President Kashim Shettima, for his presence at the official opening ceremony.
Mrs. Oyekunle commended the participation of African leaders, including the Presidents of The Gambia and Equatorial Guinea, noting that their presence reinforced the spirit of African solidarity and regional cooperation that NIES continues to promote.
Over the four days of deliberations, she said NIES 2026 once again proved to be a premier platform for cross-sector engagement, bringing together policymakers, investors, industry leaders, innovators and development partners to advance energy security, inclusive access and cleaner energy systems.
