Four years into the federal government’s “Decade of Gas” initiative, Nigeria’s ambition to become a gas-powered economy by 2030 is far from being realised.
Despite vast reserves, weak policy execution, inadequate infrastructure, and low domestic gas utilisation continue to impede progress.
Speaking at the Decade of Gas: Utilization Unlock Validation Session in Lagos, NLNG Managing Director Dr. Philip Mshelbila warned that time is running out. “While some progress has been made, we’ve not delivered the big projects that can transform the economy,” he said.
The country continues to struggle with gas-to-power integration, with less than 5,000MW reaching the grid from over 13,000MW of installed capacity. Frequent supply shortages, pipeline vandalism, and unpaid debts to gas producers have crippled the power sector, costing Nigeria more than $10 billion annually, according to the International Energy Agency.
Mshelbila also highlighted weak domestic gas usage across industries, transportation, and households. Government efforts to promote compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) have been slow to gain traction due to poor infrastructure and inconsistent policies.
He further called for urgent development of Nigeria’s deepwater gas reserves, which remain largely untapped because of high costs and regulatory uncertainty.
Analysts warn that without rapid reforms and stronger domestic demand, Nigeria risks falling behind emerging LNG exporters such as Mozambique and Mauritania, missing a critical opportunity to convert its gas wealth into sustainable economic growth.
