Seplat Energy Plc has emphasised the importance of domestic gas in driving economic growth and prosperity in Nigeria and Africa.
The company’s Director of New Energy, Okechukwu Mba, made this assertion at the 2025 Africa Energy Week held in Cape Town, South Africa.
According to Mba, domestic gas is well-positioned to provide reliable and affordable base load energy to drive economic growth.
He highlighted Seplat Energy’s comprehensive approach to growing the domestic gas market, which includes investments in pipeline gas projects, Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) facilities.
A statement by the company said Mba, who spoke during a panel discussion titled “Beyond Exports: Developing Commercially Viable Domestic Gas Markets”, said stakeholders needed to ensure that the challenges in the gas-to-power value chain from molecules at the wellhead to electrons in homes were addressed, for Nigeria to realise the goal of increased power supply to Nigerians.
He also also emphasised the importance of a commercially viable power sector, which he said was critical to achieving growth in the domestic gas market.
He further said: “Bankable anchor customers are needed to underpin the development of new gas projects, whilst identifying infrastructural challenges in power transmission and distribution, as well as the liquidity crises in the power sector, as two areas that require urgent attention to unlock new gas projects.”
Mba highlighted that Seplat Energy currently supplied gas to five power stations in Nigeria, which underscores its commitment to the power sector, noting that gas is well-positioned to provide reliable and affordable base load energy to drive economic growth.
According to Mba, Seplat Energy adopts a comprehensive approach to growing the domestic gas market. “Besides investments in pipeline gas projects, Seplat is also investing in Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) facilities,” he added.
In addition to the significant volumes of butane now supplied to the domestic market from its NGL plant in Bonny River Terminal, Seplat Energy also intends to commence delivery of LPG from its Sapele and ANOH gas plants before the end of the year.
Mba said this would make Seplat Energy one of the leading suppliers of LPG, displacing biomass and providing a cleaner cooking fuel that will improve the health and living conditions of Nigerians.
He added that Seplat Energy’s investment in CNG was to make gas available to customers not currently connected to the domestic gas pipeline network.
Mba also said that the company planned to take its operated gas production to over 1 Bcf/d by 2030, while noting that the recent incentives granted by government to the gas sector will aid the achievement of this goal.
In a related development, the Director External Affairs & Social Performance, Seplat Energy, Chioma Afe, who featured in a panel discussion dubbed “Bureaucracy or Bridge? Tailoring Global ESG Approaches for African Realities”, said that in all the company’s moves in driving to drive access to reliable and affordable energy for Nigerians, ESG fundamentals are strongly upheld and practicalised.
The company’s Director of External Affairs & Social Performance, Chioma Afe, highlighted the importance of customising global ESG frameworks to address unique socio-economic conditions and developmental challenges in Africa.
Afe emphasised that Seplat Energy’s approach to ESG implementation involved a regular and systematic process of identifying and analysing development gaps in its areas of operation and partnering with communities to define project goals, prioritise resources, and develop effective strategies to achieve them.
The company’s commitment to ESG principles is reflected in its efforts to provide cleaner energy solutions and improve the lives of Nigerians.
With its investments in domestic gas production and commitment to ESG, Seplat Energy is well-positioned to contribute to Nigeria’s economic growth and prosperity.
According to her, the peculiarities of the Nigerian people and Africa at large remain very germane in implementing Seplat Energy’s ESG framework and affirming its commitments.
“For a truly successful and impactful ESG implementation, it is highly imperative to move from a ‘one size fits all’ mindset to a co-created framework and implementation that is focused on value creation and empowers African nations to define their own sustainable growth plan.
”One that ensures ESG principles become a bridge across industries and countries, driving growth and not a bureaucratic exercise.
“Adapting ESG to local needs is key. Therefore, we should explore customizing global ESG frameworks to address the unique socio-economic conditions, developmental challenges, including infrastructure, education, and healthcare, as well as vulnerabilities to climate change and economic empowerment, across the continent, ” she said.
Speaking to the company’s model, she noted that: “At Seplat Energy, our approach has been a regular and systematic process of identifying and analysing the development ‘gaps’ in our areas of operation and partnering with our communities to define project goals, prioritise resources and develop effective strategies to achieve them.”
