Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, has advocated an investor-friendly policies that would attract private sector participation and drive investment in Nigeria’s gas-to-power infrastructure.
The minister made the call at the 2025 Nigeria International Energy Summit, NIES, in Abuja on Monday, where he emphasized that time has come for a decisive action, strategic policies and regulatory framework to drive investments and enhance energy solutions.
Speaking on the topic “Driving the Nexus between Gas and Power for Energy Access in Africa,” Ekpo expressed dissatisfaction that energy had remained the backbone of industrialisation, economic growth and human development, yet, Africa faced an undeniable energy access gap, with millions still lacking reliable electricity.
He pointed out that with Africa’s abundant gas reserves, it was imperative that resources were maximised to power industries, electrify rural and urban communities, and catalyse socio-economic development.
The minister underscored the need to prioritise robust policy and regulatory frameworks such as regional collaboration; gas monetisation and public-private partnerships, PPPS, to achieve the objective.
The eight edition of NIES which has its theme as ” Bridging Continents: Connecting Investors Worldwide with Africa’s Energy Potential” is scheduled to hold from February 24 to February 27, 2025.
