KEY POINTS
- NMDPRA CEO Saidu Mohammed called on the World Bank to help mobilize $22 billion to close Nigeria’s gas infrastructure gap at a ministerial roundtable
- He outlined three delivery corridors: the Africa Atlantic Gas Pipeline, the Trans-Sahara Gas Pipeline and Gulf of Guinea coastal LNG infrastructure
- The Decade of Gas initiative enters its execution phase, measuring progress through higher production, more investment and expanded pipelines
Saidu Mohammed, chief executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, called on the World Bank to help mobilize $22 billion needed to close Nigeria’s gas infrastructure gap, signaling the sector’s push to extend its reach across Africa.
Mohammed made the case while addressing the Decade of Gas Ministerial Roundtable on Regional Gas Development, held in partnership with the World Bank under the theme “Strategic Areas of Collaboration in Advancing Gas Development with Regional Impact Across Africa.”
He said the initiative’s first phase concentrated on identifying key enablers: boosting supply, driving demand, expanding infrastructure and setting up pricing frameworks to support gas-driven growth. Meanwhile, the second phase will shift to execution and measure progress through higher production volumes, increased investment flows, expanded pipeline networks and new gas processing facilities.
Three strategic corridors to carry gas across Africa
With a domestic gas framework now in place, Mohammed also argued that the initiative must push beyond Nigeria’s borders to deliver regional impact. He outlined three corridors through which the country could supply gas to continental and global markets: the Africa Atlantic Gas Pipeline, linking the northern Atlantic coast with potential delivery into Europe; the Trans-Sahara Gas Pipeline, extending the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano network through parts of West, Central and North Africa; and coastal liquefied natural gas supply infrastructure across the Gulf of Guinea and other African coastal regions.
Aligned rules and firm agreements the missing pieces in Nigeria gas infrastructure
To open those corridors, Mohammed said governments must align regulatory frameworks across borders, build structured systems for cross-border gas trade and maintain reliable regional demand data. He also stressed the need for consistent long-term funding to sustain major infrastructure projects.
Moreover, Mohammed reaffirmed that the NMDPRA will continue to support Nigeria gas infrastructure investment through targeted pricing and tariff policies, describing regional collaboration as essential to any credible continental gas strategy.
