NUPRC Targets 3GW Power Potential, $2bn Investment Through Gas Flare Programme

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) says its gas commercialisation initiatives could unlock nearly 3 gigawatts of power-generation potential, attract up to $2 billion in investment and create more than 100,000 direct and indirect jobs.

The Commission Chief Executive, Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, disclosed this on Friday in Lagos during an energy conference organised by the Harvard Business School Association of Nigeria, where industry leaders discussed integrating oil, gas and power for national transformation.

Eyesan attended the conference alongside the Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Rabiu Umar, and the Minister of Power, Joseph O. Tegbe.

According to the NUPRC, domestic gas supply remains critical to improving electricity generation, prompting the Commission to enforce the Domestic Gas Delivery Obligation to ensure greater availability of gas in the local market.

The Commission is also collaborating with the Gas Aggregation Company Nigeria Limited (GACN) on a gas swap framework aimed at reducing costs and improving the availability of gas products across the country.

Another major initiative is the Nigerian Gas Flare Commercialisation Programme (NGFCP), under which the Commission has issued Permits to Access Flare Gas (PAFG) to 28 companies.

The first phase of the programme is expected to capture more than 250 million standard cubic feet per day of gas that would otherwise be flared.

The NUPRC said the programme could mobilise between $1.5 billion and $2 billion in investment while unlocking close to 3GW of power-generation potential.

It is also projected to produce approximately 170,000 metric tonnes of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) annually, a development expected to support cleaner cooking and improve household energy access.