Gaps in Nigeria’s gas pipeline infrastructure are constraining everything from power generation to fertiliser production and export capacity, according to senior oil executives, who say the lack of infrastructure is the country’s biggest barrier to electricity generation and industrial growth.
Speaking at the Nigeria International Energy Summit 2026 in Abuja, Jim Swartz, chairman and managing director of Chevron Companies in Nigeria, said the country’s ageing and limited gas pipeline network was preventing operators from monetising reserves and meeting domestic demand.
“Natural gas that goes into the domestic market goes through this [pipeline] system. It is constrained, there’s only one line, and it’s pretty old,” Swartz told industry leaders. “So we need to build that out. I think that’s one of the key things, to enable gas to move to the market and get to multiple places.”
The infrastructure bottleneck affects multiple sectors, he said, including domestic power generation, fertiliser production and the West African Gas Pipeline that supplies neighbouring countries. “I think gas infrastructure is really one of the key things,” Swartz added.
The warning comes as Nigeria targets increasing oil production to 2m barrels per day in the near term and 3m bpd in the medium term. But industry executives say achieving these goals will require not just production capacity but also comprehensive infrastructure development and massive capital investment, both of which remain elusive.
SOURCE: Premium Times