Nigeria has a strategic responsibility to harness its vast natural gas resources to power Africa’s development and contribute meaningfully to global energy stability, the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Ltd, Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari, has said.
Ojulari made the statement on Tuesday at the opening ceremony of the Nigeria International Energy Summit, NIES, 2026 held at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
In a statement issued by the company’s spokesperson, Andy Odeh, the NNPC Ltd boss emphasized that Nigeria’s path to prosperity lies in effectively leveraging its abundant energy resources, particularly natural gas.
“”Nigeria’s pathway to a prosperous future lies in our collective ability to leverage our resource abundance, especially as gas sits at the heart of our strategy. It is our bridge to a cleaner future, our engine for industrialization, and our foundation for export-led growth,” Ojulari said.
Highlighting what he described as Africa’s energy trilemma, Ojulari noted that despite the continent’s vast energy resources, millions still lack access to affordable and sustainable power, with over 600 million Africans living without electricity.
According to him, Nigeria, with proven reserves of 37 billion barrels of crude oil and 209 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, is well positioned to lead efforts to change the continent’s energy narrative.
“With over 600 million Africans still lacking electricity, the continent’s priority cannot be a copy and paste. Ours must be a just, equitable, people-centered energy additions, one that lifts our people out of poverty, powers industries, supports agriculture, transforms transportation, and unleashes the creativity of Africa’s youth”, he stated.
Ojulari further stressed that NNPC Ltd is not only a commercial enterprise but also a catalyst for peace and economic prosperity.
On efforts to expand gas accessibility as a driver of industrialisation and economic growth, he disclosed that the company has launched a new Gas Masterplan and is advancing key infrastructure projects, including the Obiafu-Obrikom-Oben, OB3, and Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano, AKK, gas pipelines, as well as the expansion of the Escravos-Lagos Pipeline System, ELPS.
“These projects are more than pipelines; they are highways to economic opportunity,” he added.
