The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) and its industry partners have signed six landmark gas agreements aimed at accelerating Nigeria’s industrialisation, strengthening energy security and expanding domestic gas utilisation.
The agreements, signed on the sidelines of the 25th NOG Energy Week in Abuja, include a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited (ASCL), a Gas Sale and Aggregation Agreement (GSAA) with ASCL, a Gas Sale Agreement (GSA) with UTM FLNG, and three Network Entry Agreements with Chevron Nigeria Limited, 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, described the agreements as a major step towards advancing the Federal Government’s gas-based industrialisation agenda, driving sustainable economic growth and improving Nigeria’s 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, and it has the potential to transform Nigeria’s economy more than any other hydrocarbon,” Ojulari said.
He noted that the agreements reflect NNPC Ltd’s commitment to transparency, operational efficiency and a standardised framework for nationwide gas utilisation, which will unlock new domestic gas supply and position natural gas as a catalyst for economic transformation.
According to him, the partnerships mark the beginning of a new phase of collaboration that will promote local content development, strengthen energy security and support Nigeria’s ambition of becoming a globally competitive industrial economy.
A major highlight of the event was the agreement with Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited, under which both organisations will collaborate beyond gas supply to support the production of steel pipes for strategic infrastructure projects, including the African-Atlantic Gas Pipeline (AAGP) and the Escravos-Lagos Pipeline System (ELPS) 3.
The MoU focuses on two key objectives: revitalising the Ajaokuta Steel Complex and expanding domestic gas utilisation through the Nigerian Gas Transportation Network Code.
The partners also executed a 20-year Gas Sale and Aggregation Agreement involving NNPC E&P Limited (NEPL), the Gas Aggregation Company of Nigeria Limited (GACN) and ASCL to supply gas for the power plant serving the steel complex.
In another major development, the NNPC Ltd/Seplat Joint Venture signed a 15-year Wet Gas Sale and Purchase Agreement with UTM FLNG Ltd to supply 200 million standard cubic feet of gas per day to the UTM Floating LNG project, providing long-term feed gas needed to support financing and pave the way for a Final Investment Decision expected in the fourth quarter of 2026.
NNPC Ltd also completed the migration of legacy interconnection agreements to the Nigerian Gas Transportation Network Code through the signing of Network Entry Agreements with Chevron Nigeria Limited, AGPC and NEPL.
The agreements will inject up to 800 million standard cubic feet of gas per day into Nigeria’s domestic gas transportation network, improving supplies to power plants, gas-based industries and industrial clusters while enhancing network efficiency and energy security.
The signing ceremony was witnessed by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Rt. Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo; the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri; the President’s Special Adviser on Energy, Olu Verheijen; the Chief Executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Gbenga Komolafe; and the Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed, alongside other stakeholders.
The agreements were signed during the milestone 25th NOG Energy Week, themed “Advancing Energy Ambitions for Competitive & Resilient Economies,” highlighting the critical role of strategic partnerships in driving Nigeria’s energy transition, industrial growth and economic development.
