Ukraine-Russia War: EU Urges Nigeria For More Gas Supply

The European Union (EU) on Monday continued to mount pressure on Nigeria to ramp up its gas supply to Europe, with a visit to the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, Mr. Mele Kyari.

The visit to the GMD came days after EU ambassadors paid a similar visit to the Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Mr. Timipre Sylva, apparently in a bid to mount pressure on the country to raise its gas production.

Since the Russia-Ukraine war started, Europe has sought to free itself of Russian hydrocarbons, which produces up to 40 per cent of its total gas consumption. But Nigeria has been unable to increase production and supply despite its over 206tcf of proven gas due to under-investment and inadequate infrastructure.

Earlier, the delegation which met with Sylva, included the European Union Ambassador to Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Samuela Isopi and French ambassador to Nigeria, Emmaunelle Blatmann.

Others were: The Spanish ambassador to Nigeria, Juan Sell; Portuguese ambassador, Luis Barros, and Italian Deputy Head of Mission, Tarek Chazli.

At the event, the federal government had urged Europe to step up investments in gas and other hydrocarbons in Nigeria to be able to help meet the EU energy demand.

Sylva said although Nigeria was ready to step in as an alternative gas supplier to Europe, the continent has to encourage its oil and gas companies such as Shell, Eni, Total Energies among others to scale up investments in the gas sector in Nigeria.

Aside Nigeria, the Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, arrived in Algeria yesterday, with an agenda to prioritise the acquisition of larger volumes of Algerian gas.

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