Nigeria is set to unlock up to $20 billion in new investments from 70 priority gas projects, as the country intensifies efforts to convert its vast natural gas reserves into engines of industrial growth, job creation, and energy security.
The projects, drawn from over 200 proposals reviewed by the Decade of Gas Secretariat between July and August, represent the most promising ventures to drive Nigeria’s ambition of becoming a gas-powered economy by 2030, according to Farouk Ahmed, Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
“These identified projects can attract over $20 billion in investments, create tens of thousands of jobs, and catalyse industrial activity nationwide,” Ahmed said in Lagos during the opening of the Gas Utilisation Unlock Validation Series, convened under the government’s Decade of Gas Initiative.
The projects span six key demand clusters: power generation, fertiliser, petrochemicals, industrial feedstock, compressed and liquefied petroleum gas (CNG/LPG), and gas export, with a combined potential gas demand of about 15 billion standard cubic feet per day (bscfd).
Ahmed explained that a three-week validation process has begun to assess each project’s credibility by matching supply with demand, setting pricing mechanisms, and identifying infrastructure and policy enablers to speed up implementation.
“This validation series is not just an audit,” Ahmed said. “It’s a catalyst to move these projects from concept to execution through collaboration and clear timelines.”
Launched in 2021, the Decade of Gas Initiative is Nigeria’s flagship energy transition programme aimed at harnessing the country’s more than 200 trillion cubic feet of proven gas reserves. It focuses on four pillars, supply, infrastructure, pricing, and utilisation, with the goal of making gas the cornerstone of Nigeria’s industrial and export growth.
Despite holding the largest gas reserves in Africa, Nigeria has long faced challenges such as infrastructure deficits, regulatory overlaps, and market uncertainties, which have constrained investment in gas-to-power, manufacturing, and petrochemical projects.
Ahmed said the current validation process was designed to “unlock the final drivers” needed to realise the initiative’s objectives. “Nigeria is positioning itself as a regional hub for energy supply and gas trading across Africa,” he said.
The NMDPRA, established under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) to regulate midstream and downstream operations, has introduced reforms to improve transparency and attract investors. These include the Nigerian Gas Transportation Network Code, which has enhanced network pressures and supply stability, and market-based pricing frameworks to support private-sector-led investment.
Ahmed also noted that Nigeria’s gas reforms are being aligned with global sustainability standards, including the EU Methane Emission Reduction Regulation (MER 2024/1787) and the UN’s OGMP 2.0 framework, to ensure competitiveness and environmental responsibility.
He urged regulators, operators, and investors to see the validation process as a collective mission to accelerate delivery. “This is a defining moment for our gas industry,” he said. “Within the next 12 to 24 months, we must begin commissioning critical projects that will define Nigeria’s energy future.”
