•From left: Ifeoma Isichei, Head Business Development (Gas), Sahara Group; Olurotimi Famoroti, Chief Executive Officer, FIPL; Mariah Lucciano-Gabriel, Head, Integrated Gas Ventures, Asharami Energy; Omobolanle Adesulu, Head, Business Performance Management, Sahara Group; Abel Nsa, Senior Technical Assistant to the Hon. Minister of State Petroleum Resources (Gas); Mobolaji Sunmoni, Senior Infrastructure Finance Professional; Dr. Adeola Yusuf, Team Lead, Platforms Africa during the Asharami Square event themed ‘Harnessing Gas for Africa’s Sustainable Future’, Friday in Lagos
Natural gas has been unanimously affirmed as Africa’s transformational fuel for bridging energy security and powering industrialisation, according to energy experts, media practitioners, and government functionaries at the second edition of Sahara Group’s thought leadership forum, Asharami Square.
The forum, held Friday, July 11 in Lagos, highlighted gas as the bridge between energy access and renewable transition, emphasised the need for $100 billion annual investments in African energy infrastructure, and underscored the media’s critical role in shaping accurate energy transition narratives.
The Honourable Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Rt. Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo, whose speech was delivered by his Senior Technical Adviser, Mr. Abel Nsa, stated that Africa must urgently address the “Africa’s energy paradox” narrative.
“According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), Africa accounts for over 7% of global natural gas reserves, with Nigeria, Algeria, Egypt, and Mozambique holding the majority of these volumes. And yet, the continent consumes less than 5% of global gas output. This mismatch between potential and utilization must be addressed with urgency and purpose,” Ekpo said.
He commended Sahara Group for shaping public discourse through Asharami Square, noting its potential to bridge the gap between intention and action, and between information and transformation.
The minister added that harnessing the power of gas demands bold investments in infrastructure, including pipelines that connect supply to demand, virtual pipelines that reach the underserved, and financing frameworks that de-risk investments and incentivize private-sector participation.
“Natural gas is not merely a transitional fuel. It is a transformational fuel. It can power our industries, energise our homes, reduce dependence on more polluting fuels, and drive the engine of inclusive economic growth,” he emphasised.
Mr. Frank Mmamelu, Asset Manager PSC, NNPC Upstream Investment Management Services (NUIMS), representing keynote speaker Dr. Justice Derefaka, Group Asset Manager, PSC Asset Group B at NUIMS, reiterated gas’s socio-economic value in Africa. He stated that gas has the potential to lift millions out of poverty by supporting agriculture, improving access to clean domestic energy, reducing deaths caused by pollution, and addressing gender inequality. He stressed the need for local capacity building across the gas value chain, noting that reducing the export of unrefined resources should be a top priority.
Dr. Adeola Yusuf, Energy Communications Expert, emphasised the media’s need for a “seat on the table” as partners in sustainability conversations to drive accurate reporting and support all stakeholders. He urged government and private institutions to facilitate seamless access to data and critical information to support “holistic understanding and fact-based reporting of the issues to promote accountability, transparency and stamp out greenwashing.”
Ejiro Gray, Director of Governance and Sustainability at Sahara Group, highlighted the importance of contextualizing sustainability within Africa’s unique developmental realities. Gray explained that while global attention often centers on carbon emissions and net-zero targets, African nations face distinct challenges around access, equity, and economic inclusion. According to Gray, gas offers a critical opportunity to bridge these gaps. She also cited Sahara Group’s ongoing investments in gas infrastructure across Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Ghana, Senegal, and Tanzania, designed to improve regional trade and energy access.
Bethel Obioma, Head, Corporate Communications, Sahara Group, presented the Asharami Awards for Outstanding Sustainability Reporting to Vanguard Online, Punch, Nigeria Info 99.3FM, and Arise News. He expressed confidence that such recognition would inspire more accurate and insightful reporting on Africa’s sustainability journey. He noted that Asharami Square is Sahara’s contribution to improving the understanding of sustainability and ensuring the African narrative is not left behind. “We believe this will help reduce misrepresentation and enable the media to play a dominant and inspiring role in galvanizing action and influencing the direction of public policy,” Obioma stated.
Other speakers included Ijeoma Isichei, Head of Business Development (Gas) at Sahara Group; Mariah Lucciano-Gabriel, Head of Integrated Gas Ventures at Asharami Energy; Olurotimi Famoroti, CEO, First Independent Power Limited (FIPL); and Mobolaji Sunmoni, Senior Infrastructure Finance Professional. They offered cross-sector perspectives on unlocking gas potential, aligning policy with private investment, and the role of inclusive narratives in enabling progress.
Asharami Square 3.0 will be held next year as Sahara Group approaches 30 years of responsibly bringing energy to life across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.