Nigeria’s Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, has urged immediate and united efforts to convert the country’s vast natural gas reserves into real economic value.

Speaking at the Offshore Technology Conference hosted by the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN), Ekpo said, “Nigeria holds over 210 trillion cubic feet of proven natural gas reserves—Africa’s largest and among the top ten globally.”

He described this as a “divine gift” that must be used to drive job creation, industrialisation, and energy security both domestically and globally. “Potential alone does not generate growth, action does,” he stated.

Ekpo highlighted the Federal Government’s commitment under President Bola Tinubu’s administration to build a gas-powered economy through its Decade of Gas initiative.

This includes major investments in pipelines, processing plants, and distribution networks aimed at making gas accessible for power, industry, transport, and home use.

The minister pointed to innovative solutions like Floating LNG and the Nigeria–Equatorial Guinea Gas Pipeline as key to unlocking stranded gas and boosting exports.

“The future of gas in Nigeria is not just for multinational corporations,” he added. “It belongs to every capable Nigerian entrepreneur ready to act.”

He called on stakeholders to ensure projects are ESG-compliant and bankable to attract international financing amid the global energy transition.Commending regulatory bodies like NMDPRA and NUPRC for fostering transparency and investor confidence, Ekpo emphasized the role of local firms, academia, and startups in leading the gas revolution.

“Nigeria’s gas potential is vast, but it is only through decisive, collective action that we can transform that potential into prosperity—both for our people at home and for our position on the global stage,” he concluded.