NMDPRA begins performance review of licensed gas distributors

The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has commenced a two-day performance review of licensed gas distribution companies, as part of efforts to strengthen compliance and operational efficiency in the sector.

The review session, which began on Wednesday in Abuja, is being conducted in line with the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), which mandates periodic assessments to monitor licensee performance and service quality across Nigeria’s gas distribution network.

In a statement, NMDPRA said the exercise focuses on regulatory compliance, operational standards, and adherence to Health, Safety, Environment, and Compliance (HSE&C) requirements among licensed operators.

The review comes amid Nigeria’s ongoing struggle with inadequate power generation, with the Federal Government exploring increased domestic gas utilisation to bridge the energy supply gap.

Recent comments from industrialist and President of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, have amplified calls for more ambitious power generation targets.

Speaking during a tour of the Dangote Refinery in Lagos, Dangote lamented the country’s low power output, stressing that Nigeria’s current generation capacity of around 5,000 megawatts is insufficient for a population of over 200 million.

“We as a company alone are producing, group-wide for our consumption, over 1,500 MW. So, Nigeria should not be doing just three times that,” Dangote said. “We should be generating at least 50,000 to 60,000 megawatts.”

He added that private sector involvement would be essential to expanding Nigeria’s power infrastructure, noting that building large-scale energy projects is achievable, as demonstrated by the refinery.

“What we have done here is much more difficult than making Nigeria 25,000 or 30,000 megawatts of power. But it’s not the work of government alone,” he said.

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