Saidu Mohammed, chief executive officer (CEO) of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), has called on the World Bank to support efforts to mobilise about $22 billion required to bridge Nigeria’s gas infrastructure gap.
Mohammed spoke while delivering remarks at the ‘Decade of Gas Ministerial Roundtable on Regional Gas Development’ organised in partnership with the World Bank.
According to a statement on Monday, the event was themed “Strategic Areas of Collaboration in Advancing Gas Development with Regional Impact Across Africa”.
He said the first half of the decade of gas initiative has concentrated on identifying key enablers required to unlock Nigeria’s gas potential.
Mohammed said these include boosting supply, driving demand, expanding infrastructure, and putting in place suitable pricing frameworks to support gas-driven economic growth.
He said the initiative’s second phase will focus on execution, with progress measured by higher gas production, increased investment inflows, expanded pipeline networks, and the rollout of new gas processing facilities.
With the domestic framework for gas now in place, Mohammed added, the focus must shift to extending the initiative’s impact beyond Nigeria to the wider African region.
He highlighted three strategic corridors through which Nigeria could supply gas to regional and international markets.
Mohammed said the corridors include the Africa Atlantic Gas Pipeline linking the northern Atlantic coast of Africa with potential delivery to Europe; the Trans-Sahara Gas Pipeline extending the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano pipeline across parts of West, Central and North Africa; and coastal liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply infrastructure along the Gulf of Guinea and other African coastal regions.
To achieve the goals, he emphasised the need for aligned regulatory frameworks across countries, structured systems for cross-border gas trade, reliable regional demand data, and consistent funding for major infrastructure projects.
Mohammed also highlighted the importance of firm gas supply agreements and the expansion of gas-to-power infrastructure across the continent.
The CEO also reaffirmed that the NMDPRA will continue to support gas infrastructure investments through appropriate regulations, including pricing and tariff policies, and stressed that regional collaboration will be crucial to advancing gas development across Africa.
