By Izuchukwu Mayor, Lagos
Energy experts and other stakeholders, Friday, affirmed natural gas as Africa’s transformational fuel for bridging energy security and powering industrialisation.
This was the consensus at the second edition of Sahara Group’s thought leadership forum, Asharami Square, which also hosted media practitioners, and government functionaries.
The forum, which held in Lagos, Nigeria highlighted Gas as the bridge between energy access and renewable transition.
Stakeholders also stressed the need for $100 billion annual investments in African energy infrastructure, and the media’s critical role in shaping accurate energy transition narratives.
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo,represented by his Senior Technical Adviser, Abel Nsa, said Africa needs to urgently address the narrative of “Africa’s energy paradox”.
He said: “According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), Africa accounts for over 7% of global natural gas reserves, with Nigeria, Algeria, Egypt, and Mozambique holding the majority of these volumes. And yet, the continent consumes less than 5% of global gas output.
“This mismatch between potential and utilisation must be addressed with urgency and purpose.”
Applauding Sahara Group for shaping public discourse through Asharami Square, Mr. Ekpo said the platform can help bridge the gap between intention and action, and between information and transformation.
According to the minister, harnessing the power of gas demands bold investments in infrastructure, pipelines that connect supply to demand, virtual pipelines that reach the underserved, and financing frameworks that de-risk investments and incentivize private-sector participation.
“Natural gas is not merely a transitional fuel. It is a transformational fuel. It can power our industries, energize our homes, reduce dependence on more polluting fuels, and drive the engine of inclusive economic growth,” he added.
Similarly, Asset Manager PSC, NNPC Upstream Investment Management Services (NUIMS), Frank Mmamelu, who represented keynote speaker, Dr. Justice Derefaka, Group Asset Manager, PSC Asset Group B at NUIMS, reiterated the socio-economic value of gas in Africa.
He noted that gas has the potential to lift millions out of poverty by supporting agriculture, improving access to clean domestic energy, reducing deaths caused by pollution, and addressing gender inequality.
He stressed the need for local capacity building across the gas value chain, noting that reducing the export of unrefined resources should be a top priority.
Natural gas is not merely a transitional fuel. It is a transformational fuel. It can power our industries, energize our homes, reduce dependence on more polluting fuels, and drive the engine of inclusive economic growth.
Energy Communications Expert, Dr. Adeola Yusuf, said the media needs to have a “seat on the table” as partners in conversations relating to sustainability to drive accurate reporting and support of all stakeholders.
He urged government and private institutions to facilitate seamless access to data and critical information that will support “holistic understanding and fact-based reporting of the issues to promote accountability, transparency and stamp out greenwashing.”
Director, Governance and Sustainability at Sahara Group, Ejiro Gray, highlighted the importance of contextualising sustainability within Africa’s unique developmental realities.
Ms. Gray explained that while global attention often centres on carbon emissions and net-zero targets, African nations face distinct challenges around access, equity, and economic inclusion.
According to her, gas offers a critical opportunity to bridge these gaps. She also cited Sahara Group’s ongoing investments in gas infrastructure across Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Ghana, Senegal, and Tanzania, all designed to improve regional trade and energy access across the continent.
Other speakers at the event included Ijeoma Isichei, Head of Business Development (Gas) at Sahara Group; Mariah Lucciano-Gabriel, Head of Integrated Gas Ventures at Asharami Energy; Olurotimi Famoroti, CEO, First Independent Power Limited (FIPL); and Mobolaji Sunmoni, Senior Infrastructure Finance Professional.
Together, they offered cross-sector perspectives on unlocking gas potential, aligning policy with private investment, and the role of inclusive narratives in enabling progress.
