R–L: Akachukwu Nwokedi, President of the Nigerian Gas Association and IGU Regional Coordinator for Africa; Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari, Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Limited; and Mrs. Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, Commission Chief Executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, at the Nigeria International Energy Summit (NIES) 2026, Abuja.
Africa’s ability to convert its vast gas reserves into economic growth, industrial expansion, and energy security will depend on urgent regional integration, according to Akachukwu Nwokedi, President of the Nigerian Gas Association, who warned that fragmentation could leave the continent sidelined in the evolving global energy order.
Delivering an emphatic goodwill address at the Nigeria International Energy Summit 2026, Nwokedi, who is also the Regional Coordinator for Africa of the International Gas Union (IGU) told a high-level audience of policymakers, investors, and industry leaders that despite holding some of the world’s largest untapped oil and gas reserves, Africa remains structurally disadvantaged due to weak regional coordination and infrastructure gaps.
“Africa must act as one energy bloc or risk being permanently marginalized in the global energy future.”
President, Nigerian Gas Association
The Gas expert cautioned that without deliberate integration, the continent risks failing to translate its resource wealth into economic prosperity, even as global demand for diversified energy supply sources intensifies.
“Regional strength is a strategic necessity,” Mr. Nwokedi asserted. “Together — through coordinated policy, regulatory harmonization, shared infrastructure, integrated markets and collective diplomacy — Africa can build the scale, resilience and credibility required to engage the world on its own terms.”
Africa accounts for approximately 7 percent of global natural gas reserves, yet over 600 million people across the continent still lack access to electricity, highlighting the scale of the disconnect between resource availability and energy access.
Nwokedi warned that without coordinated policy alignment, cross-border infrastructure, and integrated markets, Africa’s energy-producing nations may continue to face capital flight, underinvestment, and limited industrial growth.
He noted that the continent’s hydrocarbons are becoming increasingly strategic amid geopolitical tensions, supply chain disruptions, and energy security concerns in Europe and Asia—creating a narrow but critical window of opportunity for Africa to reposition itself.
“Without deliberate coordination and integration, Africa risks remaining fragmented and marginalized — holding vast energy resources while millions of Africans still lack access to reliable, affordable energy and opportunities for economic empowerment.”
The NGA President outlined regional integration as essential to unlocking billions of dollars in energy investment, reducing project risks, and accelerating infrastructure development. He identified key enablers of scale and investment confidence to include:
- Harmonized regulatory frameworks,
- Interconnected pipeline networks,
- Shared LNG infrastructure, and
- Regional trading hubs
- Stronger regional institutions to de-risk projects and mobilize international capital
- Natural gas as a catalyst for industrialization, universal electricity access and job creation
Existing regional initiatives, including the West African Gas Pipeline Company network, were cited as examples of how cross-border energy cooperation can strengthen supply reliability and improve market efficiency.
Nwokedi also pointed to Nigeria’s gas expansion strategy and regional diplomacy efforts as signals of a broader shift toward leveraging gas as a catalyst for industrialization, job creation, and energy transition.
Natural gas, he noted, remains critical to powering manufacturing, supporting electricity generation, and enabling Africa’s transition toward lower-carbon energy systems while sustaining economic growth.
With global capital increasingly flowing toward large-scale, integrated, and lower-risk energy markets, Nwokedi stressed that Africa must act collectively to remain competitive.
“Today, not tomorrow, we must intentionally make choices to ensure Africa emerges as a cohesive energy bloc that can be a growth engine for gas demand, innovation and sustainable clean energy solutions.”
Nwokedi’s remarks underscore growing recognition among African energy leaders that integration—not just production—will determine whether the continent emerges as a major global energy supplier or remains constrained by fragmented markets and infrastructure limitations.
The call for deeper cooperation comes as Africa seeks to attract investment, expand energy access, and position its gas sector as a cornerstone of economic development and energy transition in the decades ahead.
