Africa Unlocks LNG Potential Through Market Integration

Africa's natural gas resources are abundant, but their full value will only be unlocked through market integration, according to Akachukwu Adeyinka Nwokedi, International Gas Union (IGU) Regional Coordinator for Africa.

Nwokedi made this statement at the Africa Oil Week (AOW:Energy) 2026 in Accra, Ghana, where he emphasized that individual African countries developing gas resources in isolation would not necessarily resolve the continent's significant energy deficit or maximize the economic benefits of its gas resources.

The IGU Africa Coordinator called for greater cooperation among African countries in cross-border gas infrastructure, demand aggregation, market development, policy alignment, investment mobilization, and the sharing of strategic infrastructure. He argued that regional integration could enable African countries to develop larger and more reliable markets, improve investment confidence, reduce infrastructure duplication, and create the scale required to support commercially viable gas projects.

Nwokedi stressed that Africa's gas conversation must extend beyond export terminals to the productive sectors and communities that require reliable and affordable energy. He reaffirmed the IGU's commitment to supporting dialogue and collaboration around policies and strategies that can accelerate the responsible development and utilization of natural gas across Africa.