Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPC Ltd, has positioned gas infrastructure, disciplined execution and cross-border collaboration as the pillars of Nigeria’s ambition to emerge as Africa’s leading energy hub.
Speaking at the ongoing Nigeria International Energy Summit, NIES 2026 in Abuja, the Executive Vice President, Gas, Power and New Energy, Mr. Olalekan Ogunleye, said NNPC Ltd is leveraging gas-led investments and regional partnerships to drive energy transformation across the continent.
Ogunleye delivered the keynote remarks during a high-level panel session titled “Pipelines, Power & Peace: Unifying Africa’s Energy Diplomacy.”
According to him, NNPC Ltd’s strategy is anchored on execution excellence and value optimisation, ensuring that major gas and power projects deliver timely and measurable economic impact for Nigeria and its partners.
“NNPC Limited is playing a central role in positioning Nigeria as Africa’s leading energy hub, while advancing energy transformation across the continent through strong collaboration and disciplined execution,” Ogunleye said.
A key highlight of his presentation was the recent launch of the NNPC Gas Master Plan 2026, which he described as a clear and coordinated framework to accelerate growth in Nigeria’s gas sector.
He said the plan prioritises major regional and domestic initiatives, including the African Atlantic Gas Pipeline, expansion of liquefied petroleum gas, LPG, supply from 1.5 million tonnes to 5 million tonnes annually, and the development of gas-based industries to deepen value addition.
“The Gas Master Plan provides a structured pathway to unlock gas opportunities, scale supply and support industrial growth, while strengthening Nigeria’s leadership role in Africa’s energy landscape,” he said.
The panel session also featured Johannes Lehne, Deputy Head of Mission at the German Embassy; Abel Nsa, Senior Technical Adviser to the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas); Abiodun Bodunrin, Managing Director of the West Africa Gas Pipeline Company, WAPCo; and Olakunle Osobu, Acting Managing Director of NLNG, who was represented by Austin Ogbogbo, Manager, Pipeline Assets and Gas Supply, NLNG.
The discussion was moderated by Amel Grabsi, Regional Director, Gas for Africa.
NNPC Ltd said it is prioritising project execution discipline and value optimisation across its gas, power and new energy portfolio to ensure delivery certainty and maximise economic returns for Nigeria and regional partners.
