NNPC Tweaks 2008 Gas Master Plan, Ojulari Pledges to Exceed FG’s 10 bcf/d Target 

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited yesterday moved to recalibrate Nigeria’s 2008 Gas Master Plan, signalling a renewed push to unlock the country’s vast gas potential.

At the unveiling of the reworked plan in Abuja, the national oil company stated that the move was part of ongoing efforts to reposition Nigeria’s gas sector as the engine room of national industrialisation, energy security, and sustainable economic growth.

Speaking at the event tagged ‘NGMP 2026’, the Group Chief Executive Officer of the NNPC, Bayo Ojulari, pledged that the company would not only meet but surpass President Bola Tinubu’s charge to the NNPC of a 10 billion cubic feet per day gas production target by 2027.

The unveiling, according to the NNPC marked a strategic inflection point in Nigeria’s energy transition journey, underscoring government’s resolve to translate the nation’s vast gas endowment into tangible economic value, infrastructure expansion, and global competitiveness, in alignment with its long-term development aspirations.

Ojulari described the NNPC Gas Master Plan 2026 as a bold, effective execution-anchored roadmap designed to unlock Nigeria’s immense gas potential and elevate the country into a globally competitive gas hub.

He noted that with about 210 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of proven gas reserves and an upside potential of up to 600 Tcf, Nigeria possesses one of the most consequential hydrocarbon basins in the world; one reinforced by the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) and the federal government’s gas-centric energy transition agenda.

“The plan is structured not just to deliver but to exceed the Presidential mandate of increasing national gas production to 10 billion cubic feet per day by 2027 and 12 billion cubic feet per day by 2030, while catalysing over $60 billion in new investments across the oil and gas value chain by 2030,” Ojulari stated.

He explained that the plan prioritises cost optimisation, operational excellence, and systematic advancement of resources from 3P to bankable 2P reserves, while strengthening gas supply to power generation, Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), Mini-LNG, and critical industrial off-takers.

Reaffirming his personal commitment as chief sponsor of the initiative, Ojulari stressed that the company has adopted a more collaborative, investor-centric approach in shaping the NGMP 2026, with strong alignment to industry stakeholders, partners, and investors.

The Gas Master Plan 2026 is expected to serve as the definitive framework for coordinated gas sector development, execution discipline, and value creation over the next decade.

“The Gas Master Plan 2026 is an offshoot of the Nigerian Gas Master Plan (NGMP) 2008, which is a strategic framework aimed at maximising the economic benefits from the country’s abundant gas resources. Another significant dimension to the NGMP 2026 is the utmost attention to full alignment with the Nigerian ‘Decade of Gas Programme’,” the national oil company added.

In his remarks at the event, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, described the gas master plan as a deliberate pivot from policy articulation to disciplined execution, anchored on commercial viability and integrated sector-wide coordination.

“Today’s launch is not merely the unveiling of a document; it represents a deliberate shift towards a more integrated, commercially driven, and execution-focused gas sector, aligned with Nigeria’s development aspirations.

“Nigeria is fundamentally a gas nation. With one of the largest proven gas reserves in Africa, our challenge has never been potential, but translation: translating resources into reliable supply, infrastructure into value, and policy into measurable outcomes for our economy and our people. The Gas Master Plan speaks directly to this challenge,” Ekpo said.

Ekpo noted that the plan’s strong focus on supply reliability, infrastructure expansion, domestic and export market flexibility, and strategic partnerships aligns seamlessly with the federal government’s Decade of Gas Initiative, positioning natural gas as the backbone of Nigeria’s energy security, industrialisation, and just energy transition.

In a goodwill message on the occasion, the Chairman of the Independent Petroleum Producers’ Group (IPPG) and Chief Executive of Aradel Holdings, Mr. Adegbite Falade, said: “This is giving a shot in the arm to the economy which will bridge the gap between intent and reality. Gas thrives on value chain, from upstream to offtakers. As IPPG members, we reiterate our commitment and support to this initiative.”

Also lending his voice to the initiative, the Chairman of the Oil Producers Trade Section (OPTS) and Managing Director of TotalEnergies Upstream Companies in Nigeria, Matthieu Bouyer, thanked the NNPC for the ambition behind the NNPC GMP, stressing that his organisation supports the core operating principles of the plan.