As Nigeria enters a decisive stretch in its long-declared Decade of Gas, the signals from the sector are beginning to shift from aspiration to measurable progress. By the end of 2025, national gas production had climbed to 7.5 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd), while domestic supply has, for the first time in history, crossed the long-elusive 2 bcfd threshold. For a country whose energy narrative has for decades been dominated by crude oil, these figures represent more than incremental gains; they point to a gradual but deliberate rebalancing of Nigeria’s energy economy around its vast gas endowment.
Yet the journey from production statistics to broad-based economic impact remains fraught with structural, financial and coordination challenges. Infrastructure bottlenecks persist, pricing debates continue to unsettle investors, and the translation of policy roadmaps into tangible projects on the ground remains under intense scrutiny. With the second half of the Decade of Gas set to commence in March 2026, the focus has shifted decisively from policy design to execution, delivery timelines and outcomes that Nigerians can feel in power generation, industrial growth, cleaner cooking and job creation.
At the centre of this transition is the Decade of Gas Secretariat – chaired by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), tasked with providing a unique collaborative platform of equals for coordinating conversations between the FGN, regulators, industry operators, gas associations, financiers and policymakers around a single, coherent gas development agenda.
Mr. Ed Ubong, as Coordinating Director of the Secretariat, occupies a pivotal position coordinating these key stakeholders in deep diving critical gas issues and proposing solutions to move the country’s gas ambition to implementation. The pressure to deliver has never been higher.
This interview with Valuechain probes the core questions shaping Nigeria’s gas future: what must be done in 2026 to keep the 2030 vision credible; how clean cooking ambitions will be scaled nationwide; whether infrastructure milestones will finally catalyse industrial growth; and how Nigeria can balance affordable domestic gas pricing with the need to attract sustained international investment. Together, these issues define the real test of Nigeria’s gas decade.
Second-Half Strategy: You recently met with stakeholders to discuss strategic actions for the second half of the Decade of Gas. What are you prioritising to ensure the 2030 target of a gas-powered economy remains on track?
We have to sustain the Presidential directive to ensure that gas provides prosperity to Nigerians. The Minister of State Petroleum Resources (Gas), who chairs the DoGaS Secretariat, is also very clear on driving that vision and ensuring this translates to:
- Improved electricity generation for millions of Nigerians.
- More affordable and available Cooking Gas for Nigerians, especially women and youths
- Increased national foreign earnings via gas exports
- Increased industrial, transport and manufacturing activity, creating employment for millions of Nigerians
- Reduction in gas flaring and its environmental impact
LPG Penetration & “1 Million Homes”: With the nationwide LPG grassroots outreach launches concluded in the 6 geopolitical zones in late 2025, how will the Secretariat manage the logistics of the planned 1 million clean-cooking homes per year rollout starting this year?
A cross-functional program implementation steering committee has been set up and will begin deployment once funding is in place. The current target is to start the actual state-by-state rollout by March 2026, beginning with Bayelsa State.
Infrastructure Deadlines (OB3 & AKK): The OB3 pipeline river crossing is now slated for completion in 2026. Once active, how quickly do you expect the anticipated increase in domestic gas production to reflect in the industrial and power sectors?
The initial gas primer for the pipeline has been ready since 2025 (Assa North-Ohaji South Project), so we would expect a safe and steady ramp-up
Alignment with NNPCL GMP 2026: How does the newly unveiled NNPCL Gas Master Plan (GMP) 2026 change the Secretariat’s approach to investment attraction, especially regarding the 50 utilisation projects meant to create 4 million jobs by 2030?
The NNPCL GMP is fully aligned with the integrated projects database of the top 50 gas utilisation projects owned by the NMDPRA. The Presidency, MPR, NNPCL, NMDPRA, GACN, and the DoGas team will continue to work together to ensure these top midstream and downstream gas projects receive the support they need to achieve first gas within the decade.
Pricing vs. Investment: In 2025, the domestic gas base price was reduced to $2.13/MMBtu. How is the Secretariat balancing the need for affordable energy for Nigerians with the necessity of keeping the sector attractive for high-level international investors?
Confidential industry cost/price discovery work has been going on since last year to ensure the regulators, NUPRC and NMDPRA, have the right data set to make their cost and pricing decisions. Gas pricing must be at a level to support further investment and growth while remaining affordable to millions of Nigerians.
