Precious Anga
Lagos — Nigeria’s natural gas production rose to 7.93 billion standard cubic feet per day (bcf/d) in May 2026, supported by stronger domestic demand and rising output from non-associated gas fields, according to fresh data from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).
The figure represents a 0.63 per cent year-on-year increase from 7.88bcf/d recorded in May 2025, while showing a marginal 0.12 per cent dip month-on-month from April’s 7.94bcf/d.
Breakdown of the May data shows Associated Gas contributed 3.96bcf/d, while Non-Associated Gas accounted for 3.98bcf/d, highlighting a near-even split in Nigeria’s production mix and the growing strength of dedicated gas developments.
Domestic utilisation continued to expand. Sales to the local market rose to 2.18bcf/d, up from 2.03bcf/d previously, representing 26.6 per cent of total gas usage, as demand from power generation and industrial users strengthened under the national gas expansion agenda.
Export sales, however, declined to 3.07bcf/d, accounting for about 40 per cent of utilisation, while 2.11bcf/d (26.5 per cent) was consumed for field operations. Gas flaring stood at 0.57bcf/d, or 6.9 per cent, reinforcing gradual progress toward Nigeria’s 2030 zero-flare target.
Production has maintained a steady upward trend over the year, rising from 7.80bcf/d in January to 7.94bcf/d in April, before stabilising in May. Year-to-date performance averaged 7.87bcf/d, slightly higher than the first-quarter average.
Between January and April 2026, Nigeria produced 947.78 billion standard cubic feet (bcf) of gas. Of this, 872.69bcf was utilised, while 57.34bcf was flared, translating to utilisation levels of about 92 per cent, according to NUPRC’s provisional data.
Monthly performance showed consistent utilisation above 90 per cent: January recorded 91.4 per cent, February 93 per cent, March 93.2 per cent, and April 93.1 per cent, underscoring improved efficiency in gas utilisation across the value chain.
Domestic supply remained stable throughout the period, averaging between 59bcf and 66bcf monthly, while exports fluctuated but remained significant, with volumes peaking at 98.69bcf in April.
The Commission noted that the growing contribution of non-associated gas reflects ongoing investments in dedicated gas projects and aligns with government efforts under the Decade of Gas initiative to expand domestic utilisation, reduce flaring, and strengthen energy security.
Nigeria, which holds over 200 trillion cubic feet of proven gas reserves, continues to face infrastructure and investment constraints that limit full monetisation of its resources, despite improving production and utilisation trends.
