Nigeria’s push to reposition natural gas as the backbone of its energy transition is gaining momentum, with production rising from 6.8 billion cubic feet per day in 2023 to 7.5 billion cubic feet per day in 2025.
The Coordinating Director of the Decade of Gas Secretariat, Ed Ubong, disclosed this on Monday in Abuja, projecting that output could reach 12 billion cubic feet per day by 2030 if ongoing reforms and investments are sustained.
Speaking at the Decade of Gas and World Bank Ministerial Roundtable and workshop, where government officials, regulators, investors, and development partners gathered to chart pathways for scaling gas development across
Nigeria and Africa, Ubong attributed the recent growth in production to improved collaboration across the energy value chain.
“We have seen gas production rise from about 6.8 billion cubic feet per day in 2023 to about 7.5 billion cubic feet per day in 2025. This progress is largely driven by stronger collaboration among government institutions, regulators, investors, and industry players,” he said.
“Nigeria has reaffirmed its ambition to significantly scale up gas production, with a target of delivering up to 12 billion cubic feet of gas per day into the market by 2030,” Ubong added,
He said that achieving this goal would depend heavily on partnerships across borders and institutions.
“Africa’s energy future depends on our ability to work together across borders, institutions, and value chains to achieve shared prosperity,” he said.
Ubong explained that the ongoing Decade of Gas initiative, which runs from 2021 to 2030, was designed to unlock Nigeria’s vast gas reserves and reposition the sector as a driver of economic growth.
According to him, a dedicated secretariat was established in 2023 to coordinate implementation, focusing on stimulating demand, expanding infrastructure, ensuring competitive pricing, and building human capacity.
“We are deliberately asking a critical question across the ecosystem: what support is required to move projects forward and unlock value for Nigeria?” he stated.
He disclosed that over 215 gas demand projects are currently being tracked through a centralised database to improve planning and execution, adding that accountability mechanisms have also been strengthened to ensure delivery.
On key priorities, Ubong identified gas-to-power and the expansion of liquefied petroleum gas usage as central to Nigeria’s domestic energy strategy.
“Gas-to-power remains critical for improving electricity supply, while increasing LPG adoption will help replace firewood and charcoal, improving public health and environmental sustainability,” he said.
He disclosed that Nigeria plans to increase LPG consumption from 1.8 million tonnes per annum to 3 million tonnes by 2030, supported by the distribution of over five million gas cylinders nationwide.
GIK/APA