Abuja, Oct. 5, 2026 – The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) plans to open a gas licensing round for distributors before the end of 2026.
Rabiu Umar, the NMDPRA Chief Executive, announced this at the weekend at the just-concluded Gas Investment Forum 2026, explaining that during the exercise, investors across the country would bid for licenses
Uma promised that the exercise would begin in October after the completion of a nationwide gas distribution gridding exercise expected.
“Under the licensing round, applicants will bid for gas distribution licences in the gridded areas available across the country, in the same way licensees apply for oil mining licences in the upstream sector,” he said
Umar said the exercise was part of efforts to move the natural gas sector away from its current fragmented infrastructure and access system towards a truly open-access
He said Nigeria must convert its vast gas reserves into infrastructure capable of supporting economic activities, warning that reserves without infrastructure would remain untapped potential.
“Without infrastructure, reserves are potential. They will continue to have potential. With infrastructure, gas becomes productivity and national resilience, especially in the light of the global headwinds that we seen,” Umar said.
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