NNPC Plans Fresh 1.8bcf/d Gas Supply Boost Amid Rising Domestic Demand

Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) has announced plans to increase gas supply by an additional 1.8 billion cubic feet per day (bcf/d) in 2026 to meet growing domestic demand.

The company disclosed this in Abuja while hosting members of the Nigeria Guild of Editors, stating that its subsidiaries—NNPC Upstream Investment Management Services (NUIMS) and Nigerian Exploration and Production Limited (NEPL)—are expected to increase production by 1.496bcf/d and 223.6 million standard cubic feet per day (mmscf/d) respectively this year.

According to data from the Gas Master Plan (GMP) 2026 shared with the editors, the increase will significantly contribute to Nigeria’s target of supplying 10bcf/d by 2027 and 12bcf/d by 2030.

NNPC officials noted that rising demand across key sectors—including liquefied natural gas (LNG), power generation, industrial parks, and compressed natural gas (CNG)—has made the expansion critical. They added that the master plan provides a strategic framework for achieving the Federal Government’s gas development objectives.

Speaking on the plan, NNPC’s group managing director, Bayo Ojulari, said it aligns with the presidential mandate to boost gas production and unlock investment in the sector.

“The plan is designed to deliver the presidential mandate of increasing national production to 10bcf/d by 2027 and 12bcf/d by 2030, while catalysing over $60 billion in new investments across the oil and gas value chain by 2030,” he said.

Ojulari identified key enablers required to achieve these goals, including sustained global and domestic demand, strong governance structures for implementation, alignment among industry partners, and improved access to funding through bankable gas projects.

He also emphasised the need for competitive fiscal and commercial incentives to attract investment, particularly in deepwater gas development, as well as reforms in the power sector to strengthen the gas-to-power value chain.

NNPC stated that the Gas Master Plan adopts a hub-based development model, clustering gas assets based on defined criteria to optimise production and infrastructure.

According to the company, the hub-ranking exercise has identified 23 high-potential hubs expected to drive Nigeria’s gas supply growth in the short to medium term.