Reserves Won’t Save Us; IGU Tells Africa To Connect Or Lose Its $Trillion Gas Goldmine

● Why Export-Only Strategy Won’t Save Africa’s LNG Future – Everything IGU Regional Coordinator for Africa, Akachukwu Adeyinka Nwokedi said on One Continental Gas Grid at the AOW:Energy 2026

Accra, Ghana — Africa has the gas. What it doesn’t have yet is the grid. And that, according to the International Gas Union (IGU), is the difference between a resource and real wealth, NOP NIGERIA reports.

Speaking at Africa Oil Week, AOW:Energy 2026, IGU Regional Coordinator for Africa, Akachukwu Adeyinka Nwokedi, delivered a blunt message: size of reserves means little without the ability to move gas across borders, markets and industries.

“Africa’s LNG future will not be secured by reserves alone. It will be secured through connectivity, credibility and execution. Resources create opportunity; integration creates value,” Nwokedi told a packed room of ministers, investors and CEOs.

The continent stands at a crossroads. On one hand are massive gas discoveries. On the other are the familiar problems: energy poverty, weak infrastructure, and slow industrialization.

NOP NIGERIA reports that Nwokedi warned against the “every country for itself” approach. While isolated projects can boost LNG exports, they won’t fix Africa’s energy deficit or deliver the wider economic benefits the continent needs.

His prescription: build one African gas economy. That means linking supply to demand through cross-border pipelines, aggregating demand to create bigger markets, aligning policies, and sharing infrastructure instead of duplicating it.

The logic is simple economics. “Regional integration could enable African countries to develop larger and more reliable markets, improve investment confidence, reduce infrastructure duplication and create the scale required to support commercially viable gas projects.”

But the vision goes beyond cargo ships. Nwokedi said LNG must evolve from an export commodity into a platform for domestic growth.

“By connecting markets, aggregating demand, sharing infrastructure and aligning policies, LNG can become more than an export commodity. It can become a platform for energy security, industrial competitiveness and shared prosperity across Africa,” he said.

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The IGU boss urged leaders to shift the narrative from export terminals to kitchens, factories and farms. “Africa’s next LNG chapter should not be written only at its export terminals. It must also be written in the homes, factories, farms and businesses powered by African gas.”

The keynote anchored high-level talks at AOW:Energy 2026 under the theme “Investing in African Natural Resources.” Governments, energy majors, financiers and policymakers gathered to discuss how to unlock Africa’s resources through partnerships and policy coordination.

Founded in 1931, the International Gas Union represents over 140 members in 70 countries — about 90% of the global gas market. Nwokedi reaffirmed IGU’s commitment to back dialogue that accelerates responsible gas development.
His closing message to Africa was clear: the gas is there. The money is there. Now connect them.

NOP NIGERIA