Ekperipe Ekpo, minister of state for petroleum resources (gas), says the International Energy Agency (IEA) has officially admitted Nigeria as its newest associate member.
Ekpo spoke on Tuesday at the NOG Energy Week 2026 conference in Abuja.
He said the admission makes Nigeria the IEA’s sixth African
association member and the first member of the Organisation of Oil Exporting
Countries (OPEC) to attain the status.
According to the minister, “on July 2nd 2026, the
International Energy Agency officially admitted Nigeria as its newest
association country”.
“As the first OPEC member to partner with the IEA and its
sixth African association member, Nigeria is uniquely anchoring a balanced
global dialogue, ensuring equitable energy transitions while defending the
right of developing nations to responsibly harness their gas assets,” he said.
Ekpo said Nigeria has also assumed the presidency of the
2026 gas exporting countries forum (GECF) ministerial meeting, “alongside the
election of Nigeria’s Philip Mshelbila as the forum’s secretary-general”.
“This dual leadership at the helm of the world’s premier gas
alliance reflects international confidence in our technical expertise and
policy vision,” he said.
Furthermore, Ekpo said when he assumed office, “our team
embraced a clear mandate: To transform natural gas from an export commodity
into the primary engine of Nigeria’s economic growth”.
“Every initiative undertaken by the Ministry has therefore
been guided by one fundamental question: ‘How does this improve the
competitiveness and resilience of the Nigerian economy?’ The answer has shaped
our priorities,” the minister said.
“Resilient economies are not built by exporting raw
materials alone; they are built by capturing and multiplying value at home.
“This is the core philosophy driving our Decade of Gas
initiative. We are aggressively directing natural gas to power our domestic
industries, feed our fertiliser and petrochemical plants, revolutionise
commercial transportation, and provide clean cooking solutions for millions of
Nigerian families.”
The minister said every cubic feet of gas utilised
domestically directly creates local jobs, strengthens industrial productivity,
reduces dependence on imports, and improves the standard of living.
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