Nigeria’s Structural LNG Production Growth In the Spotlight At African Energy Forum

As governments and operators from across Africa’s gas frontier confirmed their participation in the Invest in African Energy Forum in Paris from April 22 to 23, 2026, Nigeria is set to highlight significant investment progress to advance its Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) space.

This is as the continent’s LNG sector enters a new growth phase marked by expansion projects, floating liquefaction scale-ups and commercialisation of large undeveloped discoveries.

The forum is expected to spotlight where capital, partnerships and infrastructure investment will flow as Africa advances its next wave of liquefied natural gas (LNG) opportunities.

LEADERSHIP reports that Nigeria is accelerating gas monetisation through supply growth, LNG expansion and downstream utilisation.

A 2026 gas master plan targets an additional 1.8 billion cubic feet per day (bcf/d) of supply, contributing to ambitions of 10 bcf/d by 2027 and 12 bcf/d by 2030, alongside more than $60 billion in sector investment.

Parallel deployment of mini-LNG and small-scale liquefaction projects is expanding gas access for off-grid industries, transport and distributed power.

For capital markets, Nigeria’s strategy signals a pivot from export-only LNG toward integrated domestic gas ecosystems with diversified revenue streams.

Nigeria is aggressively scaling its LNG export market by targeting $60 billion in sector investment to boost output, with 2025 set to be a record year for exports. Key strategies include the upcoming NLNG Train 7, the expansion of the “Decade of Gas” policy (2021-2030), and the development of mini-LNG projects to enhance capacity and diversify revenue streams.

Following a rebound in late 2025, Nigeria is aiming to significantly increase output with the commissioning of NLNG Train 7.

There are calls to fast-track Train 8 and to revive previously stalled projects such as Olokola and Brass LNG.

Key projects include fixing the OB3 (Obiafu-Obrikom-Oben) pipeline to improve gas supply to export terminals.

The “Decade of Gas” policy aims to transform the sector into a market-driven system with willing sellers and buyers. The government is pushing for increased investment in the entire gas value chain (upstream, midstream, downstream).

While historically focused on Europe (France, Spain), Nigeria is diversifying its export destinations to include more Asian markets (China, India).

In addition to major terminals, the country is rolling out mini-LNG projects to service smaller, off-grid industries.

Despite high potential, legacy projects face potential declines, requiring sustained investment to maintain growth. The focus remains on maximising the utilization of 55 TCF of uncommitted gas reserves