The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) has unveiled an aggressive multi-pathway strategy to transform Nigeria into a global gas powerhouse, targeting a surge in national gas production and a massive expansion of the country’s reserves.
The company’s Executive Vice President, Gas, Power & New Energy, Olalekan Ogunleye, disclosed the plan on Monday while speaking at the 2026 Gas Technology & Exhibition Conference (GASTECH) in Bangkok, Thailand.
Ogunleye, who spoke during a panel session titled “The New LNG Order: Leadership Strategies for Energy Security and Growth,” said Nigeria would leverage its vast gas resources to fuel domestic industrialisation while simultaneously expanding its footprint in international energy markets.
With Nigeria sitting on more than 215 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of proven gas reserves, Ogunleye said the country was determined to turn its resource advantage into an engine of industrial and economic transformation.
“Gas development and monetisation from Nigeria’s standpoint is a purely commercial play,” he declared.
“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.”
The ambitious reserves target is being pursued alongside aggressive production goals, with NNPC aiming to raise national gas output to 10 billion standard cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) by 2027 and 12 Bcf/d by 2030.
Ogunleye said the strategy is anchored on stronger coordination under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), the Decade of Gas Framework and the Gas Master Plan.
Nigeria Eyes Bigger LNG Footprint
The NNPC gas chief said Nigeria was already a major and reliable player in the global gas market, pointing to the country’s established LNG infrastructure and ongoing expansion projects.
He cited Nigeria LNG’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.
Train 7, he added, is expected to be completed in 2027, further strengthening Nigeria’s position in the international LNG market.
According to Ogunleye, Nigeria’s geographical position gives it a major advantage in supplying both Atlantic Basin and Asian markets, while its huge resource base provides the foundation for a much larger gas economy.
But the NNPC executive stressed that Nigeria does not have to choose between exporting gas and using it domestically.
He said the country was pursuing a dual pathway, using gas exports to generate foreign exchange while deploying more gas domestically to support industries, create jobs, improve energy security and raise economic productivity.
The strategy, he said, is designed to ensure that Nigeria’s gas wealth does not merely generate export earnings but also drives broad-based economic development at home.
NNPC Woos Investors Into New LNG Projects
Ogunleye also sought to reassure potential investors and financiers that Nigeria’s regulatory environment is becoming more conducive to major gas investments.
He said the country had 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 confidently participate in the development of Nigeria’s LNG projects,” Ogunleye said.
His pitch comes as global energy markets continue to grapple with geopolitical tensions, conflicts and shifting patterns of energy supply and demand.
Nigeria, he maintained, is strategically positioned to capitalise on those changes by expanding both its domestic gas economy and international LNG exports.
GASTECH, where Ogunleye delivered the pitch, is regarded as a major global gathering for the natural gas, LNG, hydrogen and low-carbon energy sectors.
The 54th edition of the conference is bringing together about 50,000 participants from more than 150 countries, including energy executives, policymakers, investors, technology leaders and industry experts.
The discussions are focused on the future of energy security, LNG supply, infrastructure investment and decarbonisation.
For Nigeria, the message from Bangkok is clear: the country wants to move beyond being a gas-rich nation and become a global gas hub, with NNPC betting that expanded production, stronger infrastructure, new LNG investments and domestic utilisation can finally unlock the economic power of Nigeria’s enormous gas reserves.
