The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) has signed a series of strategic gas agreements with key industry players, in a move aimed at boosting industrial growth and strengthening Nigeria’s energy security.
The agreements were executed on the sidelines of the 25th NOG Energy Week held in Abuja on Tuesday, and include a mix of Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs), Gas Sale Agreements (GSAs), Gas Sale and Aggregation Agreements (GSAAs), and Network Entry Agreements (NEnAs).
Among the partners involved are Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited (ASCL), UTM FLNG Limited, Chevron Nigeria Limited, AGPC, and NNPC Exploration & Production Limited (NEPL).
Speaking during the signing ceremony, the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Ltd, Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari, said the agreements align with the Federal Government’s gas-based industrialisation agenda.
According to him, the deals are designed to drive economic growth, improve energy access, and strengthen the domestic gas market.
“What we are witnessing today is not just about signing agreements. It is about igniting the engine of Nigeria’s industrialisation. Gas is critical to unlocking that potential,” Ojulari said.
A major highlight of the agreements is the partnership with Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited. Under the MoU signed, both parties agreed to expand collaboration beyond gas supply to include support for the production of raw materials for oil and gas pipelines.
The initiative is expected to support key infrastructure projects such as the African-Atlantic Gas Pipeline (AAGP) and the Escravos–Lagos Pipeline System (ELPS) Phase 3, while also contributing to the revitalisation of the Ajaokuta Steel Complex.
In addition, a 20-year Gas Sale and Aggregation Agreement involving NNPC E&P Limited (NEPL), the Gas Aggregation Company of Nigeria (GACN), and ASCL will ensure the supply of gas to power the steel complex.
The agreement provides for 3 million standard cubic feet per day (MMscf/d) of firm gas supply and 47MMscf/d of interruptible volumes.
NNPC Ltd also recorded progress in gas commercialisation through a 15-year Wet Gas Sale and Purchase Agreement between the NNPC Ltd/Seplat Energy joint venture and UTM FLNG Limited.
Under the arrangement, 200MMscf/d of gas will be supplied to the UTM Floating LNG project, providing the feedstock required to support financing and advance the project towards a Final Investment Decision expected in the fourth quarter of 2026.
Further agreements were signed to strengthen Nigeria’s gas transportation framework. NNPC Ltd entered into Network Entry Agreements with Chevron Nigeria Limited, AGPC, and NEPL, enabling the injection of up to 800MMscf/d of gas into the domestic network.
The move is expected to improve gas supply to power plants, gas-based industries, and other industrial users, while enhancing efficiency and reliability across the network.
The signing ceremony was attended by key government officials, including the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Rt. Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo; Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri; Special Adviser to the President on Energy, Ms. Olu Verheijen; as well as heads of regulatory agencies.
The agreements were signed as part of activities marking the 25th edition of NOG Energy Week, themed “Advancing Energy Ambitions for Competitive & Resilient Economies.”