Nigeria’s gas production rises as domestic sales hit 2.18bcf/d — NUPRC report

Nigeria's daily natural gas production reached 7.93 billion standard cubic feet per day in May 2026, marking a slight year-on-year increase. This growth is attributed to rising domestic demand and a greater contribution from non-associated gas production, according to industry data from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).

While overall production saw a marginal month-on-month decline from April, the trend over the first five months of 2026 has been positive. Notably, domestic gas sales increased from 2.03 billion cubic feet per day to 2.18 billion cubic feet per day. This rise represents 26.6 percent of total gas utilization and reflects concerted efforts to fulfill local supply obligations amid expanding power, industrial, and manufacturing sectors.

In contrast, gas sales for export decreased significantly, accounting for 40 percent of total production. The data also shows that 2.11 billion cubic feet per day was allocated for own-use, and 0.57 billion cubic feet per day was flared, underscoring Nigeria's commitment to ending routine gas flaring by 2030.

Analysis of production between January and April 2026 reveals that Nigeria utilized about 92 percent of the 947.78 billion standard cubic feet of gas produced. This high utilization rate indicates steady progress in the nation's strategy to reduce gas flaring and enhance the economic benefits derived from its substantial gas reserves.