The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) has highlighted the urgent need for a $200 billion investment in gas infrastructure to unlock the country’s full natural gas potential.
This revelation came during a session with the Senate’s Public Accounts Committee in Abuja on Monday, where discussions underscored Nigeria’s status as Africa’s top gas producer and the ninth-largest globally.
At the same session, the Senate expressed frustration over the underwhelming contribution of the solid minerals sector to the national economy, with its share of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) remaining below 1%. The committee deemed this performance unacceptable.
Presenting NEITI’s 2021–2023 reports on oil, gas, and solid minerals, Executive Secretary Ogbonnaya Orji stressed the critical need for gas infrastructure development.
“Based on NEITI’s findings, Nigeria needs to invest at least $20 billion per year into gas infrastructure for a period of ten years,” he stated.
Drawing comparisons with Qatar’s success in gas processing, he pointed out:
“The only thing that Qatar Energy does is gas processing through required infrastructure.
“So, in Nigeria, what we need is to invest in gas infrastructure to evacuate gas. Our study shows that we need an initial investment of $20 billion annually for 10 years to be able to generate the kind of gas infrastructure required to provide gas for the whole of Africa and beyond.
“This, of course, will require the construction of gas pipelines along and across the West African sub-region and beyond, which is a huge expenditure,” he added.

The session also addressed concerns regarding an alleged $8.5 billion in unremitted funds from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) in 2023. In response, Dr. Orji confirmed that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is currently investigating the matter.
Beyond oil and gas, NEITI acknowledged the disappointing revenue performance of the solid minerals sector, confirming that it contributes less than 1% to the nation’s GDP.
Dissatisfied with these findings, the Senate committee challenged the accuracy and completeness of the report. They raised concerns over the exclusion of states such as Nasarawa, Zamfara, Kebbi, Plateau, and Bauchi, which are known for mining activities, while states like Ogun, Osun, Kogi, Edo, Ebonyi, Rivers, Cross River, and the Federal Capital Territory were included.
Senator Aliyu Wadada Ahmed, Chairman of the Committee, voiced strong disapproval of the sector’s dismal performance, stating:
“This definitely must not continue; there must be a complete overhaul of the sector.”