The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has unveiled plans to increase Nigeria’s gas production to 12 billion standard cubic feet per day by 2030 as part of efforts to position the country as a global gas hub.
The company’s Executive Vice President, Gas, Power and New Energy, Olalekan Ogunleye, disclosed this on Monday while speaking at the 2026 Gas Technology and Exhibition Conference (GASTECH) in Bangkok, Thailand.
The statement was signed by Andy Odeh, Chief Corporate Communications Officer, NNPC Limited.
Ogunleye, who spoke during a panel session titled, “The New LNG Order: Leadership Strategies for Energy Security and Growth,” said Nigeria was seeking to leverage its more than 215 trillion cubic feet of proven gas reserves to drive domestic industrialisation and expand its presence in international energy markets.
He said the company’s Gas Master Plan was designed to bridge the gap between Nigeria’s existing reserves and its long-term potential, with an ambition to grow the country’s gas reserves beyond 600 trillion cubic feet.
“Gas development and monetisation from Nigeria’s standpoint is a purely commercial play. NNPC Ltd. is implementing a Gas Master Plan engineered as a gap-to-potential tool to move Nigeria from a 215tcf reserves position to above 600tcf,” Ogunleye said.
He said the company’s strategy was anchored on the Petroleum Industry Act, the Decade of Gas Framework and the Gas Master Plan, with a near-term target of raising national gas production to 10 billion standard cubic feet per day by 2027 and 12 billion standard cubic feet per day by 2030.
Ogunleye said Nigeria was already a major supplier in the global gas market and was pursuing further expansion, citing the Nigeria LNG project’s Trains 1–6, which have a combined production capacity of 22 million tonnes per annum and have exported more than 6,000 LNG cargoes since 1999.
He added that Train 7, currently under development, was expected to be completed in 2027.
According to him, Nigeria’s strategic location gives it an advantage in supplying both Atlantic Basin and Asian markets, while its large gas reserves and renewed policy focus provide a strong foundation for expanding the sector.
Ogunleye stressed that increased domestic gas utilisation would not undermine Nigeria’s export ambitions, saying both objectives could be pursued simultaneously.
He said gas exports would provide foreign exchange earnings, while increased domestic utilisation would support job creation, strengthen energy security and improve economic productivity.
The NNPC executive also said Nigeria had reduced investment risks in new LNG projects through an improved legal and regulatory framework backed by fiscal incentives.
“With continued efforts towards stable security, competitive gas pricing and assured gas supply, there is no better time for investors and financiers to confidently participate in the development of Nigeria’s LNG projects,” he said.
GASTECH, now in its 54th edition, brings together energy experts, chief executives, policymakers, investors and technology leaders from more than 150 countries to discuss energy security, LNG supply, infrastructure investment and low-carbon solutions.
