The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) has launched its Gas Master Plan 2026 (NGMP 2026), aiming to transform Nigeria’s gas sector into a key driver of industrialisation, energy security, and sustainable economic growth.
The plan was unveiled on Friday, January 30, 2026, at the NNPC Towers in Abuja, an event stakeholders described as a milestone in Nigeria’s energy transition and long-term development agenda.
At the launch, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, stated that the NGMP 2026 marks a shift from policy formulation to actionable implementation guided by commercial discipline and sector-wide integration.
“Today’s launch is more than a document release; it signals a decisive move toward a commercially driven, integrated, and execution-focused gas sector aligned with Nigeria’s development goals,” Ekpo said.
He emphasised that Nigeria has always had abundant gas resources, but the challenge has been turning these reserves into tangible economic benefits. “Nigeria is fundamentally a gas nation. Our task is not the availability of resources but converting them into reliable supply, infrastructure into value, and policy into measurable outcomes for our economy and people. The Gas Master Plan addresses this directly,” he added.
Ekpo highlighted that the plan focuses on reliable supply, infrastructure expansion, flexible domestic and export markets, and partnerships, complementing the Federal Government’s Decade of Gas Initiative and positioning gas as central to energy security, industrial growth, and a just energy transition.
NNPC Ltd Group Chief Executive Officer, Bashir Bayo Ojulari, described NGMP 2026 as a bold, execution-oriented roadmap designed to unlock Nigeria’s vast gas potential and position the country as a globally competitive gas hub.
Ojulari noted that Nigeria’s estimated 210 trillion cubic feet of proven gas reserves—with potential upside of up to 600 trillion cubic feet—places the nation among the world’s leading hydrocarbon basins. He said the plan aligns with the Petroleum Industry Act and the government’s gas-led energy strategy.
“The plan is designed not just to meet but to surpass the Presidential mandate of raising national gas production to 10 billion cubic feet per day by 2027 and 12 billion cubic feet per day by 2030, while attracting over $60 billion in new investments across the oil and gas value chain by 2030,” Ojulari stated.
He added that NGMP 2026 prioritises cost efficiency, operational excellence, and the systematic conversion of 3P reserves to bankable 2P reserves, while enhancing gas supply to power plants, compressed natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, mini-LNG projects, and industrial consumers.
Ojulari also reaffirmed NNPC Ltd’s collaborative and investor-focused approach in developing the plan, ensuring strong alignment with industry stakeholders and investors.
Delivering a goodwill message, Adegbite Falade, Chairman of the Independent Petroleum Producers’ Group (IPPG) and CEO of Aradel Holdings, said the initiative would give a significant boost to the economy. “This plan bridges the gap between intention and reality. Gas thrives along the value chain, from upstream to offtakers. As IPPG members, we fully support this initiative,” he said.
Matthieu Bouyer, Chairman of the Oil Producers Trade Section and Managing Director of TotalEnergies Upstream Companies in Nigeria, also commended NNPC Ltd for the ambition of the Gas Master Plan and pledged his organisation’s support for its core principles.
The NGMP 2026 is expected to serve as the central framework for coordinated gas sector development, disciplined execution, and value creation over the next decade. It builds upon the 2008 Nigerian Gas Master Plan and strongly aligns with the Decade of Gas Programme.
