The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to leveraging Nigeria’s vast oil and gas resources to drive industrialisation, energy security and economic growth, as the 9th Nigeria International Energy Summit (NIES 2026) concluded in Abuja.
Speaking at the closing ceremony, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, described the 2026 edition of the summit as the most impactful since its inception, citing unprecedented participation by top-level policymakers, investors and global industry leaders.
“This is the third edition I have been privileged to attend as Minister, and each year it keeps getting better,” Lokpobiri said. “The quality of participation witnessed at this year’s summit surpasses anything I have seen at conferences anywhere in the world.”
The Minister noted that while significant planning and coordination go into organising an event of such magnitude, its ultimate success is determined by the calibre of participants. According to him, NIES 2026 recorded one of the highest concentrations of quality attendance ever witnessed at any global energy conference.
He challenged industry stakeholders to invest in domestic infrastructure that would position Nigeria as a hub for global energy dialogue.
“Every year, Nigerian companies spend huge sums acquiring exhibition space abroad. It is time we built a world-class energy and events centre here in Nigeria and bring the rest of the world to us,” he said.
Senator Lokpobiri disclosed that land has already been secured for the proposed global energy events centre, adding that the government would soon engage industry players on the project’s implementation.
He explained that the facility would be industry-owned, privately built and managed by world-class operators to ensure sustainability and adherence to global standards. “I am hopeful that this project will commence within my tenure,” he added.
Earlier, speaking at the National Gas Day session, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Rt. Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo, said Nigeria stands at a defining moment in the global energy landscape.
With 2P gas reserves estimated at 210.54 trillion cubic feet—the largest in Africa and ninth globally—Ekpo stressed that the country’s true gas wealth must be measured by its impact on lives and livelihoods.
“The real value of our gas resources is not in reserves alone, but in megawatts delivered to homes and industries, jobs created, foreign exchange earned, and peace enabled through access to clean and reliable energy,” he said.
He described natural gas as Nigeria’s critical bridge fuel, supporting expanded electricity access, industrialisation, energy poverty reduction and climate commitments under the Renewed Hope Agenda and the Decade of Gas Initiative.
Ekpo highlighted key milestones under the current administration, including the domestication of locally produced LPG to stabilise supply and pricing, the resolution of decades-long gas-to-power legacy debts, and Nigeria’s strengthened global standing following the election of a Nigerian as Secretary-General of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF).
He also noted the nationwide rollout of the Free LPG Cylinder Distribution Programme across the six geopolitical zones, accelerating clean cooking adoption, improving public health outcomes and reducing deforestation.
According to the Minister, gas currently accounts for over 70 per cent of Nigeria’s on-grid electricity generation, with the government intensifying efforts to strengthen the gas-to-power value chain through long-term supply agreements, infrastructure expansion and the establishment of a National Gas Infrastructure Command Centre, recently approved by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Also speaking at the closing ceremony, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Patience N. Oyekunle, expressed appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for his visionary leadership and sustained support for energy sector reforms, as well as to Vice President Kashim Shettima for his presence at the official opening ceremony.
Mrs. Oyekunle commended the participation of African leaders, including the Presidents of The Gambia and Equatorial Guinea, noting that their presence reinforced the spirit of African solidarity and regional cooperation that NIES continues to promote.
She said that over four days of deliberations, NIES 2026 once again proved to be a premier platform for cross-sector engagement, bringing together policymakers, investors, industry leaders, innovators and development partners to advance energy security, inclusive access and cleaner energy systems.