FG projects gas as immediate pathway to Industrialization
Sopuruchi Onwuka
The Federal Government has said the ongoing Decade of Gas program holds strong potential to transform Nigeria’s economy into a major industrial hub driven by local capacity, fuel diversification, and modern production technology.
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo, stated this at the ongoing Nigerian International Energy Summit (NIES) in Abuja, where he said the Decade of Gas initiative is designed to reposition the domestic economy through performance-driven local content development and unlock Nigeria’s industrial potential.
Speaking at the 9th edition of the summit, Ekpo said local content implementation must focus on building globally competitive indigenous gas companies, strengthening technological capacity, and ensuring sustainable value retention within the economy.
He described natural gas as Nigeria’s most immediate, scalable, and inclusive pathway to economic diversification, industrial growth, and shared prosperity, adding that the gas value chain offers significant opportunities for job creation, industrial clustering, and regional integration.
The minister stressed the need for stronger collaboration among government, industry operators, financial institutions, and training institutions to ensure effective local content implementation. He said practical frameworks and scalable models must be deployed to achieve measurable outcomes in translating local content policies into actual energy delivery.
Ekpo also acknowledged the role of President Bola Tinubu in advancing the energy sector, noting that the president’s commitment to economic reforms, energy security, and industrialisation continues to shape Nigeria’s gas-led development agenda.
According to him, local content in the gas industry remains central to discussions on Africa’s industrial future, particularly as natural gas increasingly becomes the preferred fuel for industrialisation.
“Natural gas is not only critical to energy security and a pragmatic transition to lower-carbon systems, it is fundamentally the backbone of industrialisation and economic resilience,” Ekpo said.
He noted, however, that unlocking the full potential of the gas sector requires more than abundant reserves, infrastructure, or policy declarations. He said it demands a deliberate shift in how Nigeria conceives, designs, and implements local content across the entire gas value chain.
The minister said the sector must focus on developing strong indigenous capacity in engineering and project execution, gas processing, pipeline construction, operations and maintenance, fabrication, LNG and FLNG services, gas-based manufacturing, and downstream utilisation.
Ekpo reiterated that gas remains the cornerstone of Nigeria’s energy transition plan and broader industrial agenda, but warned that the opportunities it presents can only be sustained if local companies possess the required skills, technology, financing, and governance standards to compete at scale.
He added that the government is committed to providing clear, stable, and coordinated policy signals that support capability development and long-term investment.
“Industry operators must integrate local capacity development into project design, not as an afterthought, but as a core value driver,” he said.
