Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Ltd, Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari, has said Nigeria’s prosperous future lies in its ability to leverage its abundant gas resources, stating that gas is the country’s bridge to a cleaner future and the foundation of its export-led growth.
This is as he described Nigeria as an emerging global energy powerhouse, with the ability to power Africa’s rise and contribute meaningfully to global stability.
Ojulari revealed this during an address at the Nigeria International Energy Summit (NIES) 2026 held at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Tuesday.
Describing what he termed Africa’s energy trilemma, Ojulari said that though the African continent is endowed with vast energy resources, it still grapples with issues of accessibility, affordability, and sustainability, with over 600 million Africans living without access to electricity.
With 37 billion barrels of crude oil and 209 trillion cubic feet of gas reserves, he said Nigeria and the NNPC Ltd are ready to lead the charge in changing the narrative.
“Nigeria’s pathway to a prosperous future lies in our collective ability to leverage our resource abundance, especially as gas sits at the heart of our strategy. It is our bridge to a cleaner future, our engine for industrialization, and our foundation for export-led growth,” Ojulari stated.
“With over 600 million Africans still lacking electricity, the continent’s priority cannot be a copy and paste. Ours must be a just, equitable, people-centered energy additions, one that lifts our people out of poverty, powers industries, supports agriculture, transforms transportation, and unleashes the creativity of Africa’s youth,” he said.
On steps being taken to enhance access to gas as the primary fuel for driving industrialisation and economic growth, the GCEO said NNPC Ltd has launched a new Gas Masterplan, while aggressively progressing strategic gas infrastructure projects such as the Obiafu-Obrikom-Oben (OB3), Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) gas pipelines, and the Escravos-Lagos Pipeline System (ELPS) expansion.
“These projects are more than pipelines, they are highways for economic opportunity,” he explained.
