‘Market Integration Key To Unlocking Africa’s Vast Gas Resources’

The International Gas Union (IGU) has called for unified regional cooperation, accelerated cross-border infrastructure development, and regulatory harmonisation to unlock West Africa’s vast natural gas resources and anchor long-term economic transformation.

The charge was delivered by the IGU regional coordinator for Africa, Akachukwu Nwokedi, during his keynote address at the 2026 West Africa Gas Summit (WAGS 2026) in Accra, Ghana, where he represented IGU president, Andrea Stegher.

Addressing an international delegation of policymakers, regulators, and energy executives, Nwokedi noted that the global energy landscape is being radically reconfigured by shifting alliances, supply chain realignments, and resource competition.

He highlighted those escalating global disruptions—including tensions in the Middle East and the Strait of Hormuz crisis—have accelerated Africa’s positioning as a vital, strategic gas supply alternative.

Nwokedi cautioned, however, that the continent must transition away from fragmented national markets to insulate itself from risk and fully capture these emerging global opportunities.

“No single country—regardless of its resource endowment—can independently unlock the full potential of its gas sector. But together, through coordinated policies, shared infrastructure, and integrated markets, the countries of West Africa can build the scale and resilience required to compete effectively. In this environment, energy security means more than ever for the region—it means economic sovereignty,” Nwokedi said.

The IGU emphasised that natural gas is not merely an export commodity, but a fundamental driver of socio-economic development, domestic manufacturing, and industrialisation. When fully utilised, domestic gas capacity expands power generation, fuels petrochemical and manufacturing growth, and replaces dependence on traditional biomass with cleaner energy solutions.

To transition from potential to shared prosperity, the IGU outlined a clear framework for regional action, including addressing critical gaps in transportation, storage, and distribution networks by advancing bankable cross-border assets like the West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP) and the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline. Furthermore, the IGU stressed the importance of aligning national energy strategies, guaranteeing investor transparency, and deploying innovative, small-scale LNG and virtual pipeline concepts to reach underserved communities.

Nwokedi urged delegates to pivot swiftly from dialogue to execution to address energy security, industrialisation, and economic transformation across the sub-region.