…Targets 10 Bcf/d Production by 2027, 12 Bcf/d by 2030
By: Goodluck E.Adubazi, Abuja.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) has announced plans to activate multiple pathways aimed at transforming Nigeria into a global gas hub, leveraging the country’s more than 215 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of proven gas reserves to drive domestic industrialisation and expand its export footprint.
The Executive Vice President, Gas, Power & New Energy, NNPC Ltd., Olalekan Ogunleye, disclosed this on Monday while speaking at the 2026 Gas Technology & Exhibition Conference (GASTECH) in Bangkok, Thailand.
Ogunleye, who spoke on a panel themed “The New LNG Order: Leadership Strategies for Energy Security and Growth,” said Nigeria was strategically positioned to play a greater role in the global gas market amid geopolitical tensions, conflicts and other factors affecting global energy supply and demand.
He said NNPC Ltd. was implementing a Gas Master Plan (GMP) designed as a “gap-to-potential” tool to move Nigeria from its current reserve position of over 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.
According to him, the company’s strategy is anchored on stronger coordination under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), the Decade of Gas Framework and the Gas Master Plan, with a near-term target of raising national gas production to 10 billion standard cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) by 2027 and 12 Bcf/d by 2030.
Ogunleye said Nigeria was already a reliable supplier of gas to the international market and was embarking on a major expansion of its LNG capacity.
He cited the existing NLNG Trains 1–6, which have a combined production capacity of about 22 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) and have exported more than 6,000 LNG cargoes since 1999.
He added that Train 7, which is expected to be completed in 2027, would further strengthen Nigeria’s position in the global LNG market.
The NNPC executive vice president said Nigeria’s geographical location, with strategic access to both the Atlantic Basin and Asian markets, gave the country a major competitive advantage in supplying global energy markets.
He said this advantage, combined with the country’s substantial gas reserves and renewed focus on gas development, positioned Nigeria to become a major global gas hub.
Ogunleye stressed that domestic gas utilisation and gas exports were not mutually exclusive, saying Nigeria was pursuing a dual pathway that would enable the country to earn foreign exchange from exports while deploying gas domestically to create jobs, deepen energy security and improve economic wellbeing.
He said the country had also taken steps to de-risk 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 confidently participate in the development of Nigeria’s LNG projects,” he said.
Ogunleye’s remarks came as global energy industry leaders, policymakers, investors and technology experts gathered in Bangkok for GASTECH 2026 to deliberate on the future of energy security, LNG supply, infrastructure investment and decarbonisation.
Now in its 54th edition, GASTECH is described as the world’s largest exhibition and conference focused on natural gas, LNG, hydrogen and low-carbon solutions.
The conference brings together about 50,000 participants from more than 150 countries, including energy experts, chief executives, policymakers, investors and technology leaders.
The gathering is focused on emerging developments in global energy markets, energy security, LNG infrastructure, investment and the transition towards lower-carbon energy systems.
