Seplat Energy Plc has called for accelerated investment across Nigeria’s gas value chain to unlock the country’s more than 215 trillion cubic feet, tcf, of proven gas reserves and drive electricity generation, industrialisation and energy security.
The company said the country’s vast gas resources would remain largely untapped unless investment was expanded in production, processing, transportation and utilisation infrastructure.
Speaking at the Gas Investment Forum 2026 in Lagos, Seplat Energy’s Chief Executive Officer, Engr. Effiong Okon, represented by the company’s Director of Gas & New Energy, Mr Okechukwu Mba, said Nigeria must move beyond having gas reserves in the ground to delivering the resource reliably to homes and industries.
“Gas reserves in the ground do not power homes or factories. Gas creates value only when it is produced and reliably delivered to consumers. The task before us is to convert Nigeria’s vast gas endowment into tangible economic growth, industrial development and energy access for millions of people,” he said.
A statement by the Spokesperson of the company, Mr Stanley Opara, said quoted the Okon as stating that the urgency was heightened by Africa’s energy deficit, noting that about 600 million people in sub-Saharan Africa still lacked access to electricity.
He commended the Federal Government for measures aimed at improving investment conditions in the gas sector, particularly efforts to address legacy debts in the gas-to-power value chain, which he said were improving the bankability of gas projects.
The Seplat CEO also described recent final investment decisions on major energy projects and the commencement of operations on the OB3 gas pipeline as significant developments for the industry.
He said policy reforms, particularly the Petroleum Industry Act, PIA, had helped create a more transparent and investor-friendly environment, while institutions such as the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, NMDPRA, and the Midstream and Downstream Gas Infrastructure Fund, MDGIF, were helping to improve regulatory certainty and address infrastructure gaps.
Okon said Nigeria’s location in the Gulf of Guinea also gave the country a strategic advantage in supplying regional and international gas markets, including Europe, while meeting rising energy demand across Africa.
He said Seplat had invested significantly in domestic gas infrastructure over the past decade, including the 375 million standard cubic feet per day, MMscfd, Oben Gas Plant, 90 MMscfd Sapele Gas Plant and 300 MMscfd ANOH Gas Plant.
According to him, the company currently supplies gas directly to six power stations and numerous industrial customers, while gas from the ANOH plant also supports fertiliser manufacturers and Nigeria’s food security objectives.
He added that Seplat’s acquisition of ExxonMobil’s onshore and offshore assets had increased domestic supplies of butane and liquefied petroleum gas, LPG, while investments in compressed natural gas, CNG, infrastructure were expanding access to cleaner energy for consumers outside pipeline networks.
“Together, these investments demonstrate Seplat Energy’s commitment to supporting government efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s energy security and accelerate gas-led economic growth,” he said.
Okon further said Seplat had ended routine gas flaring across its onshore operations at the end of 2025, reducing its operational emissions intensity.
He urged government, industry players and financial institutions to forge stronger partnerships to unlock investments capable of converting “gas molecules into electrons” to power Nigeria’s industrial future.
“Nigerians cannot wait any longer. We must move from discussions to implementation and create the partnerships and investments necessary to fully realise the promise of our gas resources,” he said.
