Africa’s 180 TCF gas unexploited due to fragmented policies — NUPRC

Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) says over 180 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of discovered natural gas across Africa remains untapped, citing fragmented markets and unaligned fiscal and regulatory regimes.
Mrs Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, Chief Executive of NUPRC, said this in a keynote address at the Nigerian International Energy Summit (NIES) on Monday in Abuja.

Eyesan, represented by NUPRC Director, Mr Edu Inyang, emphasised the need for aligned regulations and markets across Africa to unlock large-scale investment in the sector.

She highlighted the African Petroleum Regulators’ Forum (AFRIPERF) as a critical platform for harmonising energy regulation across the continent. The forum was established to promote regulatory convergence, enhance predictability, and enable faster execution of cross-border projects that can deliver shared prosperity across Africa.

Speaking on the theme, “One Africa, One Regulator Voice: Aligned Policies for Continental Prosperity and Investment”, Eyesan said inconsistent regulatory frameworks across African countries continued to discourage cross-border energy investments and delay major projects.

“Our voice must be one, our frameworks aligned, and our actions coordinated. Only then can we unlock the full transformative power of Africa’s resources for our people. Investors are not deterred by Africa’s geology; they are deterred by inconsistent rules.

“A unified regulatory voice would significantly reduce investment risks and accelerate development,” she said.
She noted that AFRIPERF was already advancing aligned standards, shared data platforms, capacity-building initiatives, and a unified African voice on global energy and climate platforms.

Eyesan further said Africa’s development prospects were underpinned by its vast natural and human capital, including about eight per cent of global oil and gas reserves.

According to her, Africa holds nearly 30 per cent of known critical mineral resources, and a population of over 1.5 billion people, largely youthful and economically active.

She said that coordinated policies, integrated infrastructure, and aligned regulatory frameworks could drive industrialisation, strengthen regional value chains, enhance energy security, and promote inclusive growth.

The NUPRC boss cited Africa’s success in speaking with one voice at global platforms, including successive COP meetings, as well as regional cooperation initiatives such as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

She also described regional power pools, and cross-border gas infrastructure like the West African Gas Pipeline as proof that policy alignment accelerates development and expands access to affordable energy in Africa.

“These examples demonstrate that policy alignment accelerates development and expands access to affordable energy,” Eyesan said.

She urged African regulators and policymakers to deepen cooperation by strengthening AFRIPERF, expanding regional gas and electricity networks, adopting shared standards, and maintaining a unified African position in global energy and climate discussions. (NAN)