Nigeria’s gas sector continues to witness remarkable development with year-to-date gas production reaching 7.85 billion standard cubic feet per day (cfpd).
This is as the Decade of Gas secretariat, in partnership with the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas and Electric Vehicles (Pi-CNG & EV), has continued its efforts to build the media capacity to deepen public understanding of Nigeria’s gas sector via a media capacity building session in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The programme, which brought together 30 journalists from television, radio, print and digital media platforms, was aimed at deepening their understanding of Nigeria’s gas development agenda and enhancing reporting on the role of gas in driving economic growth, energy security, industrialisation, job creation and improved living standards.
Mr. Taofeek Balogun, of the Decade of Gas Secretariat, said at the session that the Port Harcourt engagement was the third in a series of media engagements that started in 2025 after Lagos and Abuja.
“Domestic gas consumption has passed 2 cfpd and gas exports have hit their highest level in five years, reflecting growing demand in power generation, industries, transportation, exports, and household consumption, Balogun disclosed.
Mr. Balogun also noted the successful completion of the Obiafu-Obrikom-Oben (OB3) River Niger Crossing by NGIC/NNPCL, which he said is a critical infrastructure milestone that will improve gas transportation across the country, support industrial growth, attract investment, strengthen energy security and contribute to economic development.
He said the Federal Government was committed to increasing access to clean cooking solutions as part of efforts to expand domestic gas utilization.
The government wants to distribute cooking gas cylinders to five million homes by 2030, he says.
Implementation will now move to the state level, starting from Bayelsa State in July 2026, following the successful rollout of the programme across the six geopolitical zones by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo.
The initiative will see 27,000 homes in Bayelsa get cooking gas cylinders this year as part of the goal to reach 1 million homes annually.
Speaking further, the Chief Operating Officer, Pi-CNG & EV, Mr. Tosin Coker, said efforts were being made to promote the adoption of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and electric mobility solutions as cleaner and cheaper transportation options for Nigerians.
The Federal Government is in the process of converting its vehicle fleet to CNG and purchasing CNG vehicles and is encouraging the adoption of CNG by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) as part of broader efforts to reduce transportation costs and improve energy efficiency, he said.
“The initiative has seen over 100,000 vehicles converted to CNG across the country, highlighting the increasing acceptance of alternative fuel solutions and aiding the country’s shift towards cleaner and more sustainable transportation,” said Mr. Coker.
Participants congratulated the initiative on strengthening the capacity of the media and raising public awareness of developments in Nigeria’s energy sector.
The Decade of Gas Secretariat and Pi-CNG & EV reaffirmed their commitment to continuous stakeholder engagement and public awareness as Nigeria continues her transition to a gas powered economy.
