Sopuruchi Onwuka

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Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, has stated that government is making progress on widespread electrification and industrialization in the country.

The claim however contradicted with the position of industry players who decried high level of redundancy in the upstream section of the electricity supply industry due to crippling transmission and distribution bottlenecks.

In his address at the initial panel sessions at the Nigerian International Energy Summit (NIES) which took off in Abuja on February 24, Ekpo had claimed that government was implementing reforms for widespread electrification and industrialization of the country.

He stated that the Nigerian energy industry would be driven by gas in the next five years.

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“We are implementing key reforms and infrastructure projects to ensure that gas becomes a catalyst for widespread electrification and industrialization,” he said.

Ekpo said natural gas was pivotal in addressing Africa’s energy deficit , adding that gas would play a crucial role in Africa’s industrialization, economic growth, and human development.

With millions of Nigerians lacking reliable electricity supply, Ekpo said it was imperative to maximize this resource to power industries, electrify communities, and drive socio-economic development.

He called for strategic policies and regulatory frameworks to drive investments and accelerate the deployment of clean energy solutions.

He also advocated for robust policy and regulatory frameworks, regional collaboration, gas monetization, and public-private partnerships (PPPs) to achieve Africa’s energy transformation.

“Governments, investors, and development partners must work together to remove bottlenecks and accelerate energy access through innovation, technology, and strategic investments,” he said.

Ekpo highlighted Nigeria’s progress in this area, citing the Decade of Gas Initiative, which aims to position gas as a key driver of the country’s energy transition.