By Ayomide Otitoju
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) has reaffirmed its commitment to developing multiple pathways to transform Nigeria into a global gas hub.
NNPC’s Executive Vice President, Gas, Power and New Energy, Olalekan Ogunleye, disclosed this on Monday while speaking at the 2026 Gas Technology and Exhibition Conference (GASTECH) in Bangkok, Thailand.
Ogunleye spoke during a panel session titled, “The New LNG Order: Leadership Strategies for Energy Security and Growth,” where he said Nigeria was leveraging its more than 215 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of proven gas reserves to drive industrialisation and expand its export capacity.
He said NNPC was implementing a Gas Master Plan aimed at increasing the country’s gas reserves from about 215 tcf to more than 600 tcf.
“Gas development and monetisation from Nigeria’s standpoint is a purely commercial play. NNPC Ltd. is implementing a Gas Master Plan engineered as a gap-to-potential tool to move Nigeria from a 215 tcf reserves position to above 600 tcf,” Ogunleye said.
He said the company’s gas strategy was anchored on the Petroleum Industry Act, the Decade of Gas Framework and the Gas Master Plan, with targets to increase national gas production to 10 billion standard cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) by 2027 and 12 Bcf/d by 2030.
Ogunleye said Nigeria remained a major global gas supplier, citing the Nigeria LNG Trains 1–6, which have a combined production capacity of 22 million tonnes per annum and have exported more than 6,000 LNG cargoes since 1999.
He added that Train 7 was expected to be completed in 2027, further strengthening Nigeria’s position in the global LNG market.
According to him, Nigeria’s location gives it access to both Atlantic Basin and Asian markets, while its large gas reserves provide a strong foundation for expanding production and exports.
Ogunleye said domestic gas utilisation and exports were not competing priorities, noting that Nigeria was pursuing a dual approach that would generate foreign exchange from exports while using gas domestically to support industrialisation, create jobs and improve energy security.
He also said the country had created a more attractive environment for new LNG investments through regulatory reforms and fiscal incentives under the Petroleum Industry Act.
“With continued efforts towards stable security, competitive gas pricing and assured gas supply, there is no better time for investors and financiers to confidently participate in the development of Nigeria’s LNG projects,” Ogunleye said.
GASTECH, now in its 54th edition, is a major global conference and exhibition focused on natural gas, LNG, hydrogen and low-carbon technologies. The 2026 event brings together energy industry leaders, policymakers, investors and technology experts from more than 150 countries to discuss energy security, LNG supply, infrastructure investment and decarbonisation.
