By Ayomide Otitoju
Nigeria has a responsibility to harness its vast natural gas resources to drive Africa’s development and contribute to global energy stability, the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Ltd, Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari, has said.
Ojulari made the remarks at the opening ceremony of the Nigeria International Energy Summit (NIES) 2026, held at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
He described natural gas as central to Nigeria’s long-term energy and economic strategy, noting that it serves as a bridge to a cleaner energy future, a catalyst for industrialisation, and a foundation for export-led growth.
According to Ojulari, Africa continues to face what he termed an “energy trilemma” of accessibility, affordability and sustainability, despite being richly endowed with energy resources. He noted that more than 600 million Africans still lack access to electricity.
With Nigeria holding an estimated 37 billion barrels of crude oil and about 209 trillion cubic feet of gas reserves, Ojulari said the country, through NNPC Ltd, is well positioned to lead efforts to transform the continent’s energy landscape.
He stressed that Africa’s energy transition must be just, equitable and people-centred, rather than a replication of models from developed economies. Such an approach, he said, should lift people out of poverty, power industries, support agriculture, transform transportation and unlock the potential of Africa’s youth.
Ojulari added that NNPC Ltd’s role extends beyond commercial objectives, describing the national oil company as an enabler of peace and prosperity.
On efforts to expand access to gas and drive industrial growth, he disclosed that NNPC Ltd has launched a new Gas Masterplan and is advancing key infrastructure projects, including the Obiafu-Obrikom-Oben (OB3), Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) gas pipelines, and the expansion of the Escravos-Lagos Pipeline System (ELPS).
“These projects are more than pipelines; they are highways for economic opportunity,” he said.
