Nigeria Set to Host Global Gas Investors Forum in October

Nigeria will host top global gas investors and industry leaders this October as preparations heighten for the 2025 edition of the Gas Investment Forum (GIF).

According to a report by Punch, the two-day event, scheduled for Lagos, will be headlined by President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Energy, Olu Verheijen, who is expected to deliver the keynote address and serve as Chief Host.

The Event Director, Osaze Isesele, confirmed the development in a statement issued in Abuja on Monday. Other confirmed speakers include the Coordinating Director of the Decade of Gas Secretariat, Ed Ubong; Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber, NJ Ayuk; President of the Nigeria Gas Association, Akachukwu Nwokedi; and Chairman of the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria, Wole Ogunsanya.

The international line-up also features the President of the International Gas Union, Andrea Stegher; Non-Executive Director at NNPC Ltd and CEO of GasInvest Ltd, David Oluseyi Ige; Group Chief Technical Officer of Panocean Newcross Group, Abiodun Ogunjobi; President of the Women in Energy Network, Eyono Fatayi-Williams; CEO of Selai Gas Station Ltd, Damilola Owolabi-Osinusi; and the Executive Secretary of the Association of Local Distributors of Gas, Oga Adejo-Ogiri, among others.

In his statement, Isesele said GIF had grown into a central platform for charting strategies to unlock investment in Nigeria’s gas value chain.

Themed “Charting New Opportunities for Investment, Growth & Industrialisation,” the forum will bring together government officials, policymakers, investors, and energy executives to deepen dialogue around Nigeria’s gas monetisation agenda and its role in driving industrialisation and energy security across West Africa.

He added that the event is endorsed by the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources and co-hosted by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, ensuring strong government and industry alignment.

“The Forum, now in its third edition, has become a central platform for strategic dialogue around Nigeria’s gas monetisation agenda and energy-driven industrialisation efforts. The Gas Investment Forum provides an unparalleled platform for collaboration between policymakers and the private sector. It is where investment opportunities are identified, partnerships are built, and innovation is showcased to support the country’s Decade of Gas policy,” Isesele noted.

Organisers said the forum would also feature a trade exhibition, enabling local and international companies to showcase solutions, technologies, and investment-ready projects to potential partners.

They stressed that the gathering would advance West Africa’s ambition of leveraging natural gas for sustainable development, energy transition, and regional integration, while positioning Nigeria as a global hub for gas-driven industrial growth.

In addition to the main conference sessions, GIF 2025 will also feature a vibrant trade show, allowing companies and project developers to showcase innovative solutions to local and international energy stakeholders.

Earlier projections from the Forum indicated that Nigeria and other Sub-Saharan countries will contribute 92 per cent of the continent’s total natural gas demand growth by 2050.

“The region is expected to account for nearly 92 per cent of Africa’s total natural gas demand growth through 2050, underscoring gas’s transformative role in addressing energy and development challenges.”

“Nigeria alone is projected to add more than 75 billion cubic meters of gas between 2023 and 2050, driven primarily by increased gas-fired power generation, industrial growth, and the expansion of petrochemical and fertiliser production facilities,” it stated.