Business
NNPC activates multiple pathways to transform Nigeria into global gas hub —Official
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) has reiterated its commitment to activating multiple pathways to transform Nigeria into a global gas hub.
According to a statement issued by NNPC’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Andy Odeh, the company’s Executive Vice President, Gas, Power & New Energy, Olalekan Ogunleye, disclosed this while speaking at the 2026 Gas Technology & Exhibition Conference (GASTECH) in Bangkok, Thailand, on Monday.
Mr Ogunleye spoke during a panel session themed, “The New LNG Order: Leadership Strategies for Energy Security and Growth.”
He said Nigeria was leveraging its more than 215 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of proven gas reserves to drive domestic industrialisation and expand its export market as geopolitical tensions, conflicts and other factors continue to affect global energy supply and demand.
“Gas development and monetisation from Nigeria’s standpoint is a purely commercial play. NNPC Ltd. is implementing a Gas Master Plan (GMP) engineered as a gap-to-potential tool to move Nigeria from a 215tcf reserves position to above 600tcf,” Mr Ogunleye said.
Gas production targets
According to the statement, Mr Ogunleye said NNPC’s strategy is anchored on stronger coordination under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), the Decade of Gas Framework and the Gas Master Plan.
He said the near-term targets are to increase Nigeria’s national gas production to 10 billion standard cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) by 2027 and 12 Bcf/d by 2030.
In January, NNPC unveiled its Gas Master Plan (GMP) 2026, aimed at driving industrialisation and strengthening Nigeria’s energy security.
At the launch, NNPC’s Group Chief Executive Officer, Bayo Ojulari, said Nigeria had about 210 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of proven gas reserves, with an upside potential of up to 600 Tcf.
He described the resource base as one of the world’s most significant hydrocarbon endowments, saying its development was supported by the Petroleum Industry Act 2021 and the Federal Government’s gas-focused energy transition agenda.
Mr Ojulari said the plan was designed to exceed the presidential mandate of raising national gas production to 10 Bcf/d by 2027 and 12 Bcf/d by 2030.
According to him, the plan is expected to catalyse more than $60 billion in investments across the oil and gas value chain by 2030.
He said the plan prioritises cost optimisation, operational excellence and the systematic conversion of gas resources from 3P to bankable 2P reserves.
The plan also seeks to strengthen gas supply to power generation, Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), Mini-LNG and other critical industrial off-takers.
Mr Ojulari said NNPC adopted a collaborative and investor-centric approach in developing the GMP 2026, with input from industry stakeholders, partners and investors.
LNG expansion
At GASTECH, Mr Ogunleye said Nigeria was already a reliable global gas supplier and was pursuing a major expansion of its LNG capacity.
He cited the Nigeria LNG project’s Trains 1-6, which have a combined production capacity of 22 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) and have exported more than 6,000 LNG cargoes since 1999.
He also cited Train 7, which is scheduled for completion in 2027, as part of the country’s ongoing LNG expansion.
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Mr Ogunleye said Nigeria’s geographical position, which gives it access to both the Atlantic Basin and Asian markets, further strengthens its position as a strategic global gas supplier.
He said this advantage, combined with the country’s substantial gas reserves and renewed national focus on gas development, provides a strong basis for expanding the industry.
According to him, domestic gas utilisation and exports are not mutually exclusive, as Nigeria is pursuing a dual pathway that uses exports to generate foreign exchange while expanding domestic gas use to create jobs, strengthen energy security and improve economic wellbeing.
Mr Ogunleye said Nigeria had also de-risked new LNG projects through a robust legal and regulatory framework backed by attractive fiscal incentives.
“With continued efforts towards stable security, competitive gas pricing and assured gas supply, there is no better time for investors and financiers to participate in the development of Nigeria’s LNG projects confidently,” he said.
GASTECH is a major global conference and exhibition focused on natural gas, LNG, hydrogen and low-carbon solutions.
The 54th edition brings together about 50,000 participants from more than 150 countries, including energy experts, chief executives, policymakers, investors and technology leaders, to discuss energy security, LNG supply, infrastructure investment and decarbonisation.
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The Federal Government says Fitch Ratings’ decision to revise Nigeria’s credit rating outlook from Stable to Positive reflects progress in economic reforms, foreign exchange market adjustments and efforts to strengthen the country’s external position.
Fitch announced the revision on 9 October, retaining Nigeria’s long-term foreign-currency issuer default rating at ‘B’.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, said Fitch cited increased foreign exchange reserves, easing inflation and improved economic prospects among the factors supporting the outlook revision.
According to the minister, Nigeria’s gross foreign exchange reserves rose to $54.9 billion as of 25 September 2026, from $32 billion in mid-April 2024.
He attributed the increase to more formalised foreign exchange transactions, portfolio inflows, higher exports and remittances.
Fitch also projected that Nigeria would record a current account surplus equivalent to 6.4 per cent of gross domestic product in 2026.
Economic growth and inflation
The ratings agency projected that Nigeria’s real gross domestic product would grow by 4.3 per cent in 2026, compared with 4 per cent in 2025, with growth remaining above 4 per cent in 2027 and 2028.
Fitch expects non-oil activities to remain the main driver of economic expansion.
The projection comes as Nigeria’s economy recorded growth of 4.43 per cent year-on-year in the second quarter of 2026, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
The figure was higher than the 3.89 per cent recorded in the first quarter of 2026 and the 4.23 per cent recorded in the corresponding quarter of 2025.
The World Bank’s October 2026 Nigeria Development Update projected average annual economic growth of 4.4 per cent between 2026 and 2028, identifying services and agriculture among the contributors to economic activity.
On inflation, Fitch projected an average rate of 15.4 per cent in 2026, less than half the level recorded in 2024.
The NBS reported that Nigeria’s headline inflation rate eased marginally to 15.39 per cent in August 2026, from 15.43 per cent in July.
The figures provide recent context for Fitch’s assessment of inflation, although the agency’s annual average forecast is different from the monthly inflation rate reported by the NBS.
Reserves, oil production and public debt
Fitch also noted developments in Nigeria’s oil sector, including crude oil production meeting the country’s OPEC target of 1.5 million barrels per day from May 2026.
Mr Oyedele said increased domestic refining was helping to reduce fuel imports and foreign exchange demand.
On public finances, Fitch expects Nigeria’s tax reforms to increase non-oil revenue relative to the size of the economy.
The agency projected that general government debt would average 32 per cent of GDP between 2026 and 2028, below the median of 56 per cent for countries with a ‘B’ rating.
Fitch also highlighted Nigeria’s domestic debt market and the banking sector recapitalisation exercise, noting that many banks had capital adequacy ratios above 20 per cent.
However, the agency identified persistent challenges, including inflation remaining above levels in peer countries, government revenue being low relative to the size of the economy, and interest payments accounting for a high proportion of government revenue.
The minister said the federal government would continue implementing reforms aimed at increasing revenue, improving spending efficiency, strengthening debt management and supporting non-oil economic growth.
Other rating developments
The Fitch decision follows other developments in Nigeria’s international credit assessments.
READ ALSO: FG to negotiate ₦1,350 petrol price ceiling as global oil shock drives pump prices
In May 2026, S&P Global Ratings upgraded Nigeria’s credit rating from ‘B-’ to ‘B’. In August, Moody’s revised its outlook on Nigeria to Positive while retaining its ‘B3’ rating.
Mr Oyedele noted that the government’s medium-term objective remained to improve Nigeria’s credit standing and work towards investment-grade status.
He said the administration would continue to focus on foreign exchange market reforms, tax revenue mobilisation, fiscal governance, more efficient public spending and growth in non-oil sectors.
The minister said its broader objective was to “translate economic reforms into jobs, food security, support for small businesses and improved living standards”.
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