Seplat Energy Plc has emphasized the crucial role of domestic gas in driving prosperity in Nigeria and Africa, powering homes, fueling industry, and providing a cleaner alternative for cooking and transportation. The company’s Director of New Energy, Okechukwu Mba, made this assertion at the 2025 Africa Energy Week in Cape Town, South Africa.
According to Mba, Seplat Energy is committed to investing in gas processing capacity for the domestic market, including the upcoming ANOH gas plant, which is expected to come online by the end of the year. He noted that stakeholders must address the challenges in the gas-to-power value chain to increase power supply to Nigerians. Mba also stressed the importance of a commercially viable power sector in achieving growth in the domestic gas market.
Seplat Energy currently supplies gas to five power stations in Nigeria, demonstrating its commitment to the power sector. The company believes gas is well-positioned to provide reliable and affordable base load energy to drive economic growth. Mba highlighted that Seplat Energy adopts a comprehensive approach to growing the domestic gas market, including investments in pipeline gas projects, Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) facilities.
The company plans to commence delivery of LPG from its Sapele and ANOH gas plants before the end of the year, making it one of the leading suppliers of LPG in Nigeria. This move is expected to displace biomass and provide a cleaner cooking fuel, improving the health and living conditions of Nigerians. Seplat Energy’s investment in CNG aims to make gas available to customers not currently connected to the domestic gas pipeline network.
The company aims to increase its operated gas production to over 1 billion cubic feet per day by 2030, with the recent government incentives to the gas sector expected to aid in achieving this goal. Seplat Energy’s Director of External Affairs and Social Performance, Chioma Afe, emphasized the importance of upholding Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) fundamentals in the company’s operations, particularly in driving access to reliable and affordable energy for Nigerians.
Afe noted that adapting ESG to local needs is crucial, and Seplat Energy’s approach has been to identify and analyze development gaps in its areas of operation, partnering with communities to define project goals and develop effective strategies to achieve them. The company’s commitment to ESG principles is expected to drive growth and empowerment across the continent, rather than being a bureaucratic exercise.