Africa must forge unity to unlock energy prosperity – NGA

A senior African energy executive has warned that the continent must urgently pursue coordinated policy-making and shared infrastructure or risk squandering its vast natural gas reserves while millions remain without reliable power.

Akachukwu Nwokedi, president of the Nigerian Gas Association and regional coordinator for Africa at the International Gas Union, told delegates at the Nigeria International Energy Summit this week that fragmentation had become “a liability” as energy increasingly shapes global geopolitics.

“In a world where energy increasingly shapes geopolitics, fragmentation is a liability,” Nwokedi said in his address to government officials, industry executives and investors. “Regional alignment gives Africa the scale, resilience, and credibility required to attract capital, manage volatility, and negotiate from a position of strength.”

The remarks come as African nations grapple with growing international pressure to transition away from fossil fuels while facing acute domestic energy poverty. More than 600m Africans lack access to electricity, even as the continent holds some of the world’s largest untapped gas reserves.

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Nwokedi argued that Africa’s hydrocarbon resources were gaining strategic importance amid global supply chain disruptions and the weaponisation of energy in international diplomacy, trends accelerated by geopolitical tensions in recent years. However, he cautioned that individual African nations lacked the heft to navigate volatile markets or resist external pressure alone.

“Africa’s energy future will not be secured through isolated national strategies,” he said. “Only through integration, coordinated policy, shared infrastructure, and unified diplomacy, can the continent convert resource abundance into economic power and energy access.”

The gas executive outlined several priority areas for continental cooperation, including harmonised regulatory frameworks to attract cross-border investment, interconnected pipeline networks and liquefied natural gas corridors, and strengthened regional institutions capable of de-risking projects for international capital.

He positioned natural gas as central to Africa’s industrialisation ambitions, arguing it could simultaneously expand electricity access, create employment and serve as transition fuel while renewable energy infrastructure develops.

Nwokedi pointed to emerging collaborative initiatives as proof of concept, commending the West African Gas Pipeline project and highlighting Nigeria’s recently launched gas master plan by state oil company NNPC as examples of market-driven development supplanting previous fragmented approaches.

The address reflects mounting recognition among African energy leaders that the continent’s negotiating position in global energy markets depends on presenting a more unified front. Individual African producers have historically struggled to secure favourable terms from international oil majors and development finance institutions.

However, translating rhetorical commitment to integration into concrete action has proved challenging. Previous attempts at pan-African energy cooperation have foundered on conflicting national interests, inadequate financing and regulatory inconsistencies between jurisdictions.

Industry observers note that recent supply shocks have created fresh impetus for regional collaboration. European buyers seeking alternatives to Russian gas have shown renewed interest in African supplies, potentially creating leverage for producers willing to coordinate export strategies.

The summit, held under the theme “Setting the Agenda: Energy Diplomacy, Policy & Partnership for Prosperity”, attracted senior representatives from across Africa’s energy sector as the continent seeks to define its role in the global energy transition while addressing persistent domestic energy deficits.

Nwokedi concluded with an urgent appeal to stakeholders to move beyond declarations toward implementation, warning that delay would condemn Africa to remain “resource-rich yet energy-poor”, a predicament he characterised as both economically wasteful and morally unacceptable given the continent’s development needs.

The message appeared aimed at both African policymakers and international investors, signalling that meaningful commercial opportunities would flow to those engaging with regional integration initiatives rather than pursuing narrow bilateral deals with individual states.

Dipo Oladehinde is a skilled energy analyst with experience across Nigeria's energy sector alongside relevant know-how about Nigeria’s macro economy.

He provides a blend of market intelligence, financial analysis, industry insight, micro and macro-level analysis of a wide range of local and international issues as well as informed technical rudiments for policy-making and private directions.

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