The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), the state-owned oil corporation of Nigeria, Africa, has announced that the country requires approximately $22 billion in fresh investments to develop critical gas pipeline infrastructure.
This funding is central to the newly unveiled Gas Master Plan 2026, designed to harness the nation’s vast but underutilized natural gas resources.
Okay News reports that this financial projection focuses on expanding the transportation network necessary to increase domestic gas utilization and export capacity. The plan, released recently in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, outlines a strategic shift toward a market-led integrated gas hub model to bridge long-standing infrastructure deficits.
Despite holding Africa’s largest proven gas reserves at about 210 trillion cubic feet, Nigeria currently ranks 16th in global production. In 2025, production stood at roughly 7.5 billion standard cubic feet per day (bcf/d), with only about 60 percent commercialized, while significant volumes were flared or reinjected due to a lack of infrastructure.
The master plan aims to ramp up production to over 10 billion standard cubic feet per day by 2027 and 12 billion by 2030. To achieve this, the document identifies major expansion needs, including the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) pipeline and the OB3 pipeline, which are essential for connecting supply hubs to power plants and industries.
Ekpei Ukam, the Focal Person of the NNPC Gas Master Plan Team, stated that unlike previous attempts, this initiative benefits from the regulatory clarity of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA). The plan identifies 23 existing gas hubs to be developed in a coordinated manner to optimize costs and ensure commercial viability for investors.
, the state-owned oil corporation of Nigeria, Africa, has announced that the country requires approximately $22 billion in fresh investments to develop critical gas pipeline infrastructure.){kind=link}