Seplat Energy Plc has called for increased investment across Nigeria’s gas value chain to unlock the country’s vast natural gas resources, strengthen energy security, drive industrialisation, and position Nigeria as Africa’s leading gas powerhouse.

Speaking at the Gas Investment Forum (GIF) 2026 in Lagos on Tuesday, Seplat Energy’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Effiong Okon, said that while Nigeria possesses more than 215 trillion cubic feet of proven gas reserves — the largest in Africa — the true value of those resources can only be realised through sustained investments in production, processing, transportation and utilisation infrastructure.

Represented by the Director of Gas & New Energy at Seplat, Mr. Okechukwu Mba, Okon addressed the conference themed “Positioning Nigeria as Africa’s Global Gas Powerhouse,” and noted that energy poverty remains a major challenge across Africa, with an estimated 600 million people in sub-Saharan Africa still lacking access to electricity.

“Gas reserves in the ground do not power homes or factories. Gas creates value only when it is produced and reliably delivered to consumers,” Okon said. “The task before us is to convert Nigeria’s vast gas endowment into tangible economic growth, industrial development and energy access for millions of people.”

Mba said the gap between Africa’s most populous nation’s resources and its energy reality was largely an infrastructure and investment problem. “Gas in the ground will not light a bulb. It will not power a factory. It is only when you bring gas to the surface and deliver it to customers that you can create value and create prosperity out of the gas that we have,” he said.

He said the challenge was to mobilise investment across the gas value chain, from production and processing to transportation and delivery, to ensure that Nigeria’s gas resources could support industrialisation and job creation.

Mba noted that recent government measures, including efforts to address legacy debts across the gas-to-power value chain, were positive steps but needed to be sustained to make gas supply to power generation commercially bankable. He also welcomed recent Final Investment Decisions (FIDs) on major energy projects and described the commencement of operations on the Obiafu-Oben-Obtikom (OB3) gas pipeline as a significant milestone for Nigeria’s gas industry. Seplat Energy was the first supplier of gas into the OB3 pipeline through its ANOH gas plant.

Okon highlighted the role of policy reforms, especially the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), in creating a more transparent and investor-friendly environment for gas investments. He noted that institutions such as the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and the Midstream and Downstream Gas Infrastructure Fund (MDGIF) were helping to strengthen regulatory certainty and close infrastructure gaps across the sector.

Speaking on Nigeria’s global competitiveness, he said the country’s strategic location in the Gulf of Guinea gives it a unique advantage in serving both regional and international gas markets, including Europe, while also supporting growing energy demand across Africa.

Okon outlined Seplat Energy’s significant investments in gas infrastructure over the past decade, including the 375 MMscfd Oben Gas Plant, the 90 MMscfd Sapele Gas Plant, and the flagship 300 MMscfd ANOH Gas Plant, which together reinforce the company’s position as one of Nigeria’s leading domestic gas suppliers.

According to him, Seplat currently supplies gas directly to six power stations and supports numerous industrial customers through gas distribution networks. Through the ANOH Gas Plant, the company also supplies gas to fertilizer manufacturers, contributing to Nigeria’s food security objectives.

He further noted that Seplat’s acquisition of ExxonMobil’s onshore and offshore assets has significantly increased domestic supplies of butane and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), while ongoing investments in compressed natural gas (CNG) infrastructure are expanding access to cleaner, more affordable energy for consumers not connected to pipeline networks.

“Together, these investments demonstrate Seplat Energy’s commitment to supporting government efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s energy security and accelerate gas-led economic growth,” Okon said.

Okon also reaffirmed the company’s commitment to environmental sustainability, noting that Seplat successfully ended routine flaring across its onshore operations at the end of 2025.