Sopuruchi Onwuka

Nigerian affiliates of Shell have called on the government to provide the necessary infrastructure and supportive policies that form the base support for commercial investments in the country’s gas industry.

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The company’s delegates at the third Gas Investment Forum which held in Lagos chorused on the need for government to deploy sustained measures to use gas investments as the key pivot for the nation’s economic growth and industrial development.

General Manager Shell Energy Nigeria, Markus Hector; and Managing Director Shell Nigeria Gas (SNG), Ralph Gbobo, stated in separate debate sessions at the forum that investments in key infrastructure, consistency in policy and regulations and partnerships form enablers for the development of the nation’s huge gas resources.

In remarks delivered on his behalf by Head, Portfolio, Regulation and Supply Chuka Amos-Ejesi, at a panel session on Nigeria’s Decade of Gas Imperative: Driving Investments through IOC–Independent Partnerships, Markus said: “There is a clear strategic case for collaboration. IOCs bring international experience, deep capital reserves, and strong technical and risk management frameworks while independents bring local insight, agility, and operational flexibility in the Nigerian context.”

He said such “partnerships must also build domestic capacity — in engineering, supply chain, operations, and maintenance.”

Earlier in his own remarks at the opening ceremony, Ralph said SNG was developing infrastructure by building gas hubs in Port Harcourt, Aba, Ota, and recently, Yenagoa and hopes to extend to other cities.

He described infrastructure “as the backbone of Nigeria’s gas industrialization journey, saying investments in this area “will not only improve access but also reduce costs and emissions, making gas a more viable option for industries and communities.”

Ralph said policy clarity and consistency is essential for attracting long-term capital while “effective collaboration is the catalyst for scale and innovation.”

He added: “The opportunities are immense, gas will continue to support Nigeria’s energy transition, providing reliable power while displacing more carbon-intensive fuels, enhance job creation, industrial diversification, and regional trade. The success of these levers will be a collaborative effort from both the public and private sectors.”

The Gas Investment Forum brought together industry leaders, policymakers, investors, and other stakeholders on investment opportunities across the gas value chain—upstream, midstream and downstream.