Nigeria exports more gas than it consumes domestically

Despite possessing Africa's largest confirmed gas reserves, exceeding 200 trillion cubic feet, Nigeria continues to export more gas than it uses for domestic consumption. Between 2022 and 2026, gas exports reached 4.56 trillion cubic feet, surpassing domestic sales of 3.21 trillion cubic feet by approximately 42 percent.

Policy inconsistencies and misplaced priorities over the last 18 years have sidelined domestic consumers. While Senegal consumes 9 million metric tonnes of cooking gas annually, Nigeria’s domestic consumption stands at only 2.3 million metric tonnes. Consequently, Nigeria imports 1.5 million tonnes of cooking gas every year, often at higher costs than neighboring Benin Republic due to the weakness of the naira.