By Tochukwu Bliss, Abuja
Nigeria’s Minister of State, Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, recently met with the Minister of State for Energy Affairs and President/CEO of Qatar Energy, Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, for a bilateral meeting on gas cooperation between both countries.
In a related development, Mr. Ekpo also met with the Minister of Energy, Hydrocarbons, Infrastructure and Power, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Suhail Al Mazrouei, in Dubai in efforts to strengthen energy ties through a bilateral meeting between both countries.
At the Doha meet held at the Qatar Energy headquarters, discussions centred around opportunities for deeper cooperation in liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargo swaps to reduce shipping times and optimise costs, according to a statement by the Minister’s spokesperson, Louis Ibah.
This could also lead to shared shipping routes to expand Africa-Asia LNG connectivity, joint investments in floating LNG (FLNG), small-scale LNG, and gas monetisation projects, and Nigeria’s Decade of Gas initiative, a national commitment to harness the country’s abundant natural gas resources as a catalyst for industrial development.
Discussions also emphasized the importance of decarbonization partnerships, with a focus on carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS), blue hydrogen production, and methane management.
At the UAE-Nigeria bilateral meeting, Mr. Ekpo was said to have acknowledged the long-standing partnership between Nigeria and the UAE through the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), and the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF), with aligned priorities on market stability, investment certainty, and just energy transitions.
Both ministers were said to have also explored opportunities for joint cooperation in LNG trading and cargo swaps, as well as midstream development, including pipelines, LPG/CNG infrastructure, and processing hubs.
The discussions also emphasized the importance of decarbonization partnerships, with a focus on carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS), blue hydrogen production, and methane management.
These initiatives aim to reduce carbon emissions and promote sustainable energy practices.
Mr. Ekpo thereafter extended an invite to Al Mazrouei to visit Nigeria at a convenient time to further strengthen bilateral energy cooperation and explore new opportunities for partnership.
