The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), has affirmed that the abundant gas resources in Nigeria ought to first meet the demand from the local consumers as there is enough to meet demand in the region.
According to the Chief Executive of the NUPRC, Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, despite the rich gas deposits in Nigeria – estimated at 215 trillion cubic feet – the supply in the local market is not consistent.
This has been blamed on past disconnections between upstream operators, infrastructure providers, and electricity distributors, who according to her, have for long failed to coordinate efforts, resulting in slow progress.
Eyesan said Nigeria would be a strong supplier of gas in the region, instead of grappling to meet domestic requirements, if all players were aligned.
The CEO appealed to all major players in the gas value chain to work together towards addressing current problems affecting gas and power.
This is in relation to attempts to increase domestic gas production that started as early as 2008, followed by the introduction of structures and processes in 2009.
Nonetheless, she observed that the measures had not recorded much success because of lack of synergy.
Stressing the need for reforms, Eyesan stated that further delays in doing away with bureaucracy and rigid policies may impede any development within the sector.
These comments were made during the 2026 Gas-to-Power Sector Stakeholders’ Engagement held in Abuja where the need for innovation and collaboration was emphasized to unlock the potential of Nigeria’s power sector.
Eyesan went on to caution the stakeholders against being stuck with the old system and adopting concrete measures lest Nigeria faces the same problem in the coming years.
