The Federal Government has reaffirmed its readiness to work with other African countries to build an integrated continental gas market, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Gas, Ekperikpe Ekpo, said on Monday.
Ekpo spoke in Abuja at a ministerial roundtable and workshop on regional gas development and cooperation organised by the Decade of Gas Initiative in partnership with the World Bank.
He said Africa’s energy future would depend less on the size of its natural resources and more on the willingness of countries to work together. He noted that although the continent holds more than 600 trillion cubic feet of proven gas reserves, over 600 million Africans still lack access to electricity.
According to the minister, the major challenge is not the availability of gas resources, but poor coordination, inadequate infrastructure, and weak collective action. He said natural gas offers Africa a strong opportunity to drive industrialisation, improve energy access, and strengthen economic resilience.
Ekpo said no single country could unlock Africa’s gas potential alone, adding that regional cooperation must remain central to the continent’s energy strategy.
He said Nigeria was ready to collaborate, invest, and provide leadership where necessary, while also partnering with other African countries to build a fully integrated gas market.
He added that if African countries align their vision, coordinate their actions, and commit to shared progress, the continent can move from stranded gas resources to integrated energy growth.
Ekpo also highlighted Nigeria’s ongoing efforts under the Decade of Gas policy. He said with more than 210 trillion cubic feet of gas reserves, Nigeria is positioning itself as a regional hub through strategic cross-border projects, including the West African Gas Pipeline, the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline, the Nigeria-Equatorial Guinea Gas Pipeline, and the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline, also known as the Africa Atlantic Gas Pipeline.
Also speaking, the Authority Chief Executive, Engr. Saidu Mohammed, restated the Authority’s commitment to stronger regional gas collaboration in line with the Decade of Gas initiative.
He said the Authority is working on policies and infrastructure frameworks that will support cross-border gas development, deepen market integration, and unlock value across the continent.
On her part, the Commission Chief Executive, Mrs Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, said the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission would continue to promote a transparent, efficient, and investment-friendly regulatory environment.
She said the commission is implementing reforms aimed at accelerating gas commercialisation, encouraging upstream investment, and supporting the development of critical infrastructure needed to monetise Nigeria’s gas resources.
Earlier, the Coordinator of the Decade of Gas Secretariat, Mr Ed Ubong, said the initiative, launched in 2021, was designed to transform Nigeria into a gas-powered economy by 2030.
He said the workshop offered a strategic platform to identify and deepen opportunities for regional collaboration, especially across West Africa and Equatorial Guinea, in ways that support shared growth and wider energy access.
