Substantial Gas Required to Meet Nigeria’s Electricity Demand, Says Minister Adelabu

• Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, stresses the need for expanding gas infrastructure to meet growing electricity demand in Nigeria
• The development of gas-related infrastructure is essential to harness the country’s gas reserves and address rising power requirements

Nigeria will require a substantial expansion of gas, generation, transmission, and distribution infrastructure to meet the growing demand for electricity, according to Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu. Speaking at the 2nd Domestic Gas and Gas Infrastructure Summit 2023 organized by the Abuja Chamber for Commerce and Industry (ACCI), Adelabu emphasized that Nigeria, despite being a major global gas producer with one of the world’s largest gas reserves, has struggled to deliver sufficient gas to the domestic market.

He further highlighted that the growing population and electricity demand necessitate the development of additional gas-related infrastructure to meet these needs. Adelabu noted that the required capacity in electricity generation is expected to come from gas-to-power and renewable energy sources.

Al-Mujtaba Abubakar, President of the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI), emphasized that natural gas has replaced coal as the preferred fuel for electricity production.

Reps probe $1.25 billion intervention fund in power sector

The House of Representatives has made a resolution to conduct a thorough investigation into all financial interventions made by the federal government within the power sector over the past decade.

This comprehensive investigation will encompass the allocation of over $1.25 billion by the federal government to the power sector from 2013 to the present.

The decision to probe the power sector was prompted by a motion put forward by Ademorin Kuye (APC, Lagos) during Wednesday’s plenary session.

In his motion, Mr. Kuye pointed out that despite numerous financial interventions by the federal government, Nigeria has not witnessed a substantial improvement in its electricity supply.

He also highlighted significant contributions, such as $486 million from the World Bank through the International Development Association (IDA) and a $300 million facility from the African Development Bank (AfDB) to the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) for the expansion and rehabilitation of the existing northern corridor.