Abuja: The Federal Government has highlighted the critical need to de-risk African gas pipeline projects through consistent policies, investor-friendly frameworks, and stronger political will. Mr. Ekperikpe Ekpo, Minister of State Petroleum Resources (Gas), conveyed this message at the 2025 edition of the Africa Gas Innovation Summit (AGIS) in Abuja. The summit, with the theme ‘Building a Resilient African Gas Economy Through Innovation and Collaboration,’ was organized by the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), Nigeria Council.

According to News Agency of Nigeria, Mr. Ekpo stressed the importance of African home-grown solutions and encouraged research and development in low-carbon technologies. He advocated for supporting startups that drive digital energy innovation and emphasized the need to build local content capacity. He noted that the future of energy would rely not solely on fossil fuels or renewables but on innovative approaches that bridge the two. He called for a unified African roadmap in the gas sector, highlighting the role of African engineers, scientists, and entrepreneurs in leading initiatives such as carbon capture, virtual pipeline systems, hydrogen research, and smart metering. He also emphasized the empowerment of women, youth, academia, and communities as co-architects of the gas economy’s development.

Additionally, Mr. Philip Mshelbila, Managing Director of Nigeria Liquified Natural Gas (NLNG), pointed out that infrastructure remains the biggest challenge to domestic gas development in Nigeria. Represented by Joseph Alagoa, General Manager, Corporate Services, NLNG, he mentioned that while Nigeria currently has 5,000km of pipelines and six LNG trains in operation, with Train 7 under construction, the domestic gas market remains underdeveloped due to inadequate infrastructure planning and investment. He emphasized that pipelines, metering systems, and storage facilities are crucial economic assets, and without them, energy access will remain elusive.