Nigeria’s gas production grew by 11.3 per cent between October 2025 and September 2026, but reported gas sales increased by just 1.7 per cent, highlighting the challenge of translating higher output into commercial supply.
An analysis of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited’s (NNPC) monthly operational reports showed that daily gas production rose from 6,997 million standard cubic feet per day (mmscf/d) in October 2025 to 7,789 mmscf/d in September 2026.
Over the same period, daily gas sales increased from 4,713 mmscf/d to 4,793 mmscf/d, representing an additional 80 mmscf/d against the 792 mmscf/d increase in production.
The figures show that while NNPC recorded stronger growth in gas output, the increase in reported sales was considerably smaller, raising questions about how effectively additional production is being converted into commercially supplied volumes.
The trend was also reflected in monthly sales performance, which showed fluctuations despite the overall increase in production.
Gas sales peaked at 5,059 mmscf/d in March 2026 before declining to 4,581 mmscf/d in July. Although sales recovered to 4,737 mmscf/d in August and 4,793 mmscf/d in September, they remained about 5.3 per cent below the March level.
Production, however, maintained a stronger performance during much of the period, reaching 7,841 mmscf/d in June before dropping to 7,489 mmscf/d in July.
It subsequently recovered to 7,680 mmscf/d in August and 7,789 mmscf/d in September.
The difference in growth rates highlights the importance of looking beyond production figures when assessing the performance of Nigeria’s gas industry, particularly as the country seeks to expand gas supply to power generation, manufacturing, and other domestic users.
Higher production does not automatically translate into higher sales, as gas volumes may also be reinjected into reservoirs, consumed in field operations, or directed toward other processing activities.
However, the relatively slow growth in reported sales raises questions about the extent to which additional output is reaching commercial markets and the constraints affecting the conversion of production into saleable volumes.
For Nigeria, improving this conversion will be important to the government’s ambition of expanding gas utilization as a source of domestic energy supply, industrial growth, and export revenue.
The figures therefore point to a broader challenge for the country’s gas sector: ensuring that growth in production is matched by stronger commercialization, effective distribution, and demand from consumers.
