* Declare gas as transformational fuel for region’s development

Peter Uzoho

At the second edition of Sahara Group’s thought leadership forum, Asharami Square, energy experts and government functionaries have affirmed natural gas as Africa’s transformational fuel for bridging energy and powering industrialisation.
The forum held in Lagos, highlighted gas as the bridge between energy access and renewable transition, stressing the need for $100 billion annual investments in African energy infrastructure to bridge the widening access gap in Nigeria and other African countries.
The forum also highlighted the media’s critical role in shaping accurate energy transition narratives in the continent.

Speaking at the event, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, said Africa needs to urgently address the narrative of “Africa’s energy paradox”.
 Represented by his Senior Technical Adviser, Mr. Abel Nsa, the minister cited the International Energy Agency (IEA) which said Africa accounts for over seven per cent of global natural gas reserves, with Nigeria, Algeria, Egypt, and Mozambique holding the majority of these volumes.

“And yet, the continent consumes less than five per cent of global gas output. This mismatch between potential and utilisation must be addressed with urgency and purpose”, Ekpo said.
Applauding Sahara Group for shaping public discourse through Asharami Square, 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.
In his keynote presentation, Group Asset Manager, PSC Asset Group B at the NNPC Upstream Investment Management Services (NUIMS), Dr. Justice Derefaka, who was represented by the Asset Manager PSC, NUIMS, Mr. Frank Mmamelu, reiterated the socio-economic value of gas in Africa.
Derefaka stated 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.

Speaking on a panel session at the forum, energy communications expert and Team Lead at Platforms Africa, 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 of Governance and Sustainability at Sahara Group, Ejiro Gray, highlighted the importance of contextualising sustainability within Africa’s unique developmental realities.

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.

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