The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) on Tuesday signed six strategic agreements with key industry partners aimed at accelerating Nigeria’s gas-based industrialisation drive, boosting domestic gas utilisation, and strengthening the nation’s energy security.
The agreements, executed on the sidelines of the ongoing 25th Nigeria Oil and Gas (NOG) Energy Week in Abuja, comprise Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs), Gas Supply Agreements (GSAs), Gas Sale and Aggregation Agreements (GSAAs), and Network Entry Agreements designed to unlock greater value across the country’s gas value chain.
The agreements include a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited (ASCL), a Gas Sale and Aggregation Agreement (GSAA) with ASCL, a Gas Supply Agreement with UTM Floating Liquefied Natural Gas (UTM FLNG), and Network Entry Agreements with Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL), AGPC, and NNPC Exploration and Production Limited (NEPL).
Speaking at the signing ceremony, the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Ltd., Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari, said the agreements reinforce the company’s commitment to supporting the Federal Government’s gas-based industrialisation agenda, promoting sustainable economic growth, and enhancing national energy security.
“What we are witnessing today is not just about signing agreements. It is about igniting the engine of Nigeria’s industrialisation. Gas is the key. It is a source of revenue and profit, but more importantly, it is the resource capable of delivering greater industrial impact for Nigeria than any other hydrocarbon,” Ojulari said.
He described the agreements as a demonstration of the shared commitment of all parties to transparency, operational efficiency, and a harmonised framework for nationwide gas utilisation. According to him, the partnerships will unlock additional domestic gas supply, strengthen Nigeria’s energy infrastructure, and reinforce the role of natural gas as a catalyst for economic transformation.
Ojulari noted that the agreements herald a new era of strategic collaboration that will deepen local content, improve energy security, and accelerate Nigeria’s emergence as a globally competitive industrial economy.
“We are on a journey and we look forward to even greater collaboration with our industry partners,” he added, describing NNPC Ltd. as the partner of choice for sustainable energy development.
A major highlight of the ceremony was the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between NNPC Ltd. and the Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited. Beyond gas supply, both organisations agreed to expand collaboration towards the production of steel materials required for oil and gas pipelines, a move expected to support strategic infrastructure projects such as the African-Atlantic Gas Pipeline (AAGP) and the Escravos-Lagos Pipeline System (ELPS) Phase III.
The MoU is built on two strategic pillars—the revitalisation of the Ajaokuta Steel Complex and the expansion of domestic gas utilisation through the Nigerian Gas Transportation Network Code.
This was complemented by the execution of a 20-year Gas Sale and Aggregation Agreement involving NNPC Exploration and Production Limited (NEPL), the Gas Aggregation Company of Nigeria Limited/GTE (GACN), and Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited. Under the agreement, ASCL will receive three million standard cubic feet per day (3MMscf/d) of firm gas supply and 47MMscf/d of interruptible gas supply to serve as feedstock for the power plant supporting the steel complex.
In another significant development, the NNPC Ltd./Seplat Joint Venture signed a 15-year Wet Gas Sale and Purchase Agreement (WGSPA) with UTM FLNG Limited as part of efforts to commercialise Nigeria’s vast natural gas resources.
The agreement provides for the supply of 200 million standard cubic feet of gas per day (200MMscf/d) from the NNPC Ltd./Seplat Energy Producing Nigeria Unlimited (SEPNU) Joint Venture to the UTM Floating LNG project. The arrangement is expected to provide the long-term feed gas security required to facilitate project financing and support a Final Investment Decision (FID) targeted for the fourth quarter of 2026.
NNPC Ltd. also announced the successful migration of legacy interconnection agreements into the Nigerian Gas Transportation Network Code through the execution of Network Entry Agreements with Chevron Nigeria Limited, AGPC, and NNPC Exploration and Production Limited.
According to the company, the agreements will inject up to 800 million standard cubic feet of natural gas per day into Nigeria’s domestic gas transportation network, increasing supply to power plants, gas-based industries, and key industrial clusters. The initiative is expected to improve network connectivity, enhance operational flexibility, and strengthen the security and reliability of gas supply across the country.
The signing ceremony was witnessed by 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; Executive Commissioner of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Mrs. Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan; and the Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed, alongside other senior government officials and industry stakeholders.
The agreements were signed as part of activities marking the milestone 25th NOG Energy Week, themed **”Advancing Energy Ambitions for Competitive and Resilient Economies,”** which highlights the importance of strategic partnerships in unlocking Nigeria’s energy potential and driving sustainable industrial development.
This rewrite follows a stronger newspaper structure with a sharper lead, better sequencing of the agreements, smoother transitions, and improved attribution, while preserving the substance and length of the original story.
