…calls for regional energy cooperation at NIES 2026
The President of the Nigerian Gas Association (NGA) and Regional Coordinator for Africa of the International Gas Union (IGU), Akachukwu Nwokedi, has urged Africa to move decisively toward coordinated policy, shared infrastructure, and collective diplomacy to transform its vast natural resources into broad-based prosperity.
Delivering a goodwill address at the Nigeria International Energy Summit (NIES) 2026, Mr. Nwokedi declared that regional energy cooperation is no longer optional but a strategic necessity in an increasingly volatile global energy order.
“In a world where energy increasingly shapes geopolitics, fragmentation is a liability. Regional alignment gives Africa the scale, resilience, and credibility required to attract capital, manage volatility, and negotiate from a position of strength,” Nwokedi said.
Speaking to a high-level audience of government officials, industry executives, investors, and diplomats during the session on “Regional Oil & Gas Cooperation,” Nwokedi warned that without deliberate integration, Africa risks remaining fragmented and marginalized; resource-rich yet energy-poor, with millions still lacking reliable and affordable access to power and the economic mobility it enables.
He argued that the continent’s abundant oil and gas reserves are gaining geopolitical significance amid supply chain disruptions, shifting alliances, and the weaponization of energy in global diplomacy. He stressed that no single nation can effectively navigate market volatility, capital constraints, or external pressure in isolation.
“Africa’s energy future will not be secured through isolated national strategies. Only through integration; coordinated policy, shared infrastructure, and unified diplomacy can the continent convert resource abundance into economic power and energy access,” Nwokedi said.
The key opportunities he outlined include harmonized regulatory frameworks to unlock cross-border investments; interconnected infrastructure — pipelines, LNG corridors, processing hubs and shared trading platforms; stronger regional institutions to de-risk projects and mobilize international capital; natural gas as a catalyst for industrialization, universal electricity access and job creation.
Pointing to early progress, he commended transnational initiatives such as the West African Gas Pipeline and highlighted Nigeria’s recently launched NNPC Gas Master Plan as evidence of an emerging shift toward value expansion and market-driven development. These developments, he noted, demonstrate how collaboration and strategic alignment can convert resource potential into tangible economic outcomes.
He concluded with a direct call to action, urging stakeholders to act with urgency and intentionality so that Africa emerges as a cohesive energy bloc positioned to shape global demand, drive innovation, and deliver sustainable energy solutions.
The address reinforced the summit’s role as a leading platform for defining the continent’s energy trajectory under the theme “Setting the Agenda: Energy Diplomacy, Policy & Partnership for Prosperity,” while signaling to investors, financiers, and policymakers that meaningful opportunities lie in engaging with the regional initiatives championed by the Nigerian Gas Association and its continental partners.
