Nigeria’s push to unlock an estimated $60 billion in new gas investment by 2030 will come under the spotlight in Lagos this month as government officials, regulators, investors, financiers and energy industry leaders converge for the Gas Investment Forum 2026.
The fourth edition of the forum, scheduled for September 29–30 at the Oriental Hotel, Lagos, is expected to focus on the projects, infrastructure, financing and partnerships required to turn Nigeria’s vast gas resources into increased production, industrial growth and stronger domestic energy supply.
Among those expected at the forum are Rt. Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas); Engr. Yetunde Taiwo, President of the Nigerian Gas Association (NGA); and Ed Ubong, Coordinating Director of the Decade of Gas Initiative.
The forum is being held under the theme, “Positioning Nigeria as Africa’s Global Gas Powerhouse.”
Organisers said the gathering comes at a pivotal point in Nigeria’s gas development agenda, with the country seeking to expand production, accelerate infrastructure investment and deepen domestic utilisation while positioning gas as a major driver of economic growth.
According to figures cited from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Nigeria had 215.19 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of proven natural gas reserves as of January 1, 2026.
The scale of the resource base, coupled with the government’s production and investment targets, is expected to make financing and project execution major themes at the two-day forum.
$60bn investment opportunity
According to Osaze Isesele, Director of Events, the Gas Investment Forum is designed to connect the policy and investment sides of Nigeria’s gas ambitions, bringing stakeholders across the value chain together to examine how projects can move from planning to execution.
He said the Gas Master Plan targets national gas production of 10 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) by 2027 and 12 Bcf/d by 2030, alongside efforts to catalyse approximately $60 billion in new investment across the oil and gas value chain by 2030.
“Nigeria has no shortage of gas resources or ambition,” Isesele said.
“The defining question now is how quickly we can convert that resource base into bankable projects, reliable infrastructure, expanded supply and productive economic activity. Gas Investment Forum 2026 is designed around that execution challenge.”
He added that the forum would bring government, regulators, investors, financiers, operators, project developers and technical experts into the same space to identify investable opportunities and the conditions required to accelerate project development.
“We are bringing government, regulators, investors, financiers, operators, project developers and technical experts into the same room to examine where the opportunities are, what is required to unlock them, and how we can accelerate the partnerships and investment needed to build a more competitive Nigerian gas economy,” he said.
Gas infrastructure and project execution take centre stage
The programme is expected to examine investment opportunities across the entire gas value chain, from upstream exploration and production to midstream infrastructure, domestic gas markets and downstream utilisation.
Key areas include LNG, LPG, CNG, gas-to-power, gas commercialisation, domestic gas utilisation, project financing, local content and emerging subnational gas markets.
The programme will also feature an Upstream Gas & Exploration Hotspot, organised with the Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE), alongside a Downstream & Midstream Gas Conversation examining the infrastructure and market conditions needed to expand domestic gas consumption.
A Nigerian Content for Gas Symposium, organised with the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN), will focus on opportunities for Nigerian companies within the expanding gas economy.
The Gas Finance & Investors Pavilion will provide a dedicated platform for discussions around capital mobilisation, project bankability and investment structures.
Organisers said the Executive Investment Showcase will highlight companies involved in developing Nigeria’s gas infrastructure and commercial ecosystem, while a Technical Workshop & Masterclass Series will provide practical insights into project development, technology deployment, commercialisation and investment.
Senior industry figures expected
The forum is expected to attract senior policymakers, regulators and industry executives from Nigeria and beyond.
Other headline speakers include Andrea Stegher, President of the International Gas Union (IGU); Enorense Amadasu, Executive Commissioner, Development and Production, NUPRC; and Senator Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Gas Resources.
Also expected are Olajumoke Ajayi, President of NAPE and Managing Director/CEO of West African Exploration and Production Company; Engr. Wole Ogunsanya, Chairman of PETAN; and Paul Eardley-Taylor, Gas Sector Lead at Standard Bank Group.
Representatives from Savannah Energy, Major Energies Marketers Association of Nigeria (MEMAN), Greenville LNG, Oando Energy Resources, Sahara Group, Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), Pan Ocean Oil Corporation/Newcross Exploration & Production Limited, Association of Local Distributors of Gas (ALDG), Falcon Corporation, Powergas Nigeria, Nigerian Governors Forum, Tope Adebayo/Alliance Law Firm, KENNA LP, U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA), National Petroleum Authority of Ghana, NNPC Gas Marketing Limited, Xenergi Nigeria, Seplat Energy, Shell Nigeria Gas and Tirex Energy, among others, are also expected to participate.
From gas reserves to economic value
Beyond policy discussions, the forum is positioned as a commercial platform for companies seeking investment, partnerships and market opportunities within Nigeria’s gas economy.
Organisers said an exhibition and structured networking sessions would provide opportunities for investors, financiers, project developers, technology providers, policymakers and energy companies to establish business relationships and explore potential projects.
The Gas Investment Leadership Awards will also recognise companies and individuals considered to be making significant contributions to the development and transformation of the gas sector.
The forum is convened in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Decade of Gas Initiative and Nigerian Gas Association.
With Nigeria seeking to raise gas production to 12 Bcf/d by 2030, the central question for investors and policymakers is increasingly shifting from the size of the country’s gas resource to how effectively that resource can be converted into producing fields, pipelines, processing facilities, power generation, industrial feedstock and commercially viable projects.
That execution challenge is expected to dominate discussions when the Gas Investment Forum 2026 opens in Lagos on September 29.
