Asharami Square 2.0: Experts Declare Gas As Transformational Fuel for Africa’s Development

L-R: Abel Nsa, Senior Technical Assistant to the Hon. Minister of State Petroleum Resources (Gas); Bethel Obioma, Head, Corporate Communications, Sahara Group; Ejiro Gray, Director, Governance & Sustainability, Sahara Group; Dr. Anthony Youdeowei, Managing Director, Sahara Power Group during the Asharami Square event themed ‘Harnessing Gas for Africa’s Sustainable Future’, Friday in Lagos

At the second edition of Sahara Group’s thought leadership forum, Asharami Square, energy experts and government functionaries unanimously affirmed natural gas as Africa’s transformational fuel for bridging energy and powering industrialisation.

The forum which held today in Lagos, Nigeria highlighted Gas as the bridge between energy access and renewable transition, the need for $100 billion annual investments in African energy infrastructure, and the Media’s critical role in shaping accurate energy transition narratives.

In a speech by The Honourable Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Rt. Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo, delivered on his behalf by his Senior Technical Adviser, Mr. Abel Nsa at the event today, Ekpo said Africa needs to urgently address the narrative of “Africa’s energy paradox”.

He said: “According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), Africa accounts for over 7% of global natural gas reserves, with Nigeria, Algeria, Egypt, and Mozambique holding the majority of these volumes. And yet, the continent consumes less than 5% of global gas output. This mismatch between potential and utilisation must be addressed with urgency and purpose.”

Applauding Sahara Group for shaping public discourse through Asharami Square, Ekpo said the platform can help bridge the gap between intention and action, and between information and transformation.

According to the minister, harnessing the power of gas demands bold investments in infrastructure, pipelines that connect supply to demand, virtual pipelines that reach the underserved, and financing frameworks that de-risk investments and incentivize private-sector participation.

“Natural gas is not merely a transitional fuel. It is a transformational fuel. It can power our industries, energize our homes, reduce dependence on more polluting fuels, and drive the engine of inclusive economic growth,” he added.

Mr. Frank Mmamelu, Asset Manager PSC, NNPC Upstream Investment Management Services (NUIMS), who represented keynote speaker, Dr. Justice Derefaka, Group Asset Manager, PSC Asset Group B at NUIMS), reiterated the socio-economic value of gas in Africa. He stated that gas has the potential to lift millions out of poverty by supporting agriculture, improving access to clean domestic energy, reducing deaths caused by pollution, and addressing gender inequality.

He stressed the need for local capacity building across the gas value chain, noting that reducing the export of unrefined resources should be a top priority.

Dr. Adeola Yusuf, Energy Communications Expert, said the media needs to have a “seat on the table” as partners in conversations relating to sustainability to drive accurate reporting and support of all stakeholders.

He urged government and private institutions to facilitate seamless access to data and critical information that will support “holistic understanding and fact-based reporting of the issues to promote accountability, transparency and stamp out greenwashing.”

Ejiro Gray, Director of Governance and Sustainability at Sahara Group, highlighted the importance of contextualising sustainability within Africa’s unique developmental realities.

Gray explained that while global attention often centres on carbon emissions and net-zero targets, African nations face distinct challenges around access, equity, and economic inclusion.

According to her, gas offers a critical opportunity to bridge these gaps. She also cited Sahara Group’s ongoing investments in gas infrastructure across Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Ghana, Senegal, and Tanzania, all designed to improve regional trade and energy access across the continent.

Presenting the Asharami Awards for Outstanding Sustainability Reporting to Vanguard Online, Punch, Nigeria Info 99.3FM and Arise News, Bethel Obioma, Head, Corporate Communications, Sahara Group said the energy conglomerate was confident that such recognition will inspire more accurate and insightful reporting on Africa’s sustainability journey.

He noted that, Asharami Square is Sahara’s contribution to improving the understanding of sustainability and ensuring that the African narrative is not left behind.

“We believe this will help reduce misrepresentation and enable the media to play a dominant and inspiring role in galvanising action and influencing the direction of public policy.”

Other speakers at the event included Ijeoma Isichei, Head of Business Development (Gas) at Sahara Group; Mariah Lucciano-Gabriel, Head of Integrated Gas Ventures at Asharami Energy; Olurotimi Famoroti, CEO, First Independent Power Limited (FIPL); and Mobolaji Sunmoni, Senior Infrastructure Finance Professional.

Together, they offered cross-sector perspectives on unlocking gas potential, aligning policy with private investment, and the role of inclusive narratives in enabling progress.

Asharami Square 3.0 will hold next year as Sahara Group inches closer to 30 years of bringing energy to life responsibly across Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East.