NMDPRA Expands Gas Supply Access to Power, Fertiliser Plants with New Network Code

The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has broadened access to gas supply for power plants, fertiliser plants, and shippers through the introduction of Revision II of the Nigerian Gas Transportation Network Code (NGTNC). The new code, announced by NMDPRA Chief Executive Mallam Rabiu Umar at the 20th Oil Trading and Logistics (OTL) Africa Downstream Week in Lagos, aims to deepen domestic gas utilization and provide open, fair access to gas transportation infrastructure.

Umar stressed that the network code is the rulebook for gas transportation, with pipelines delivering their full value only when access is open and fair. He highlighted progress in infrastructure development, including the nearly complete Escravos-Lagos Pipeline System (ELPS) midline compressor and the more than 80% completion of the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano pipeline.

The newly launched code provides clearer rules for shippers and buyers, including provisions on shrinkage factor, and lays initial rules for regional pipelines, such as the West African Gas Pipeline and the proposed Trans-Saharan Pipeline to Algeria. Umar also discussed improvements in domestic fuel production, noting that three-quarters of Nigeria's petrol supply is now refined locally, and LPG consumption has risen by almost half since 2021.

The authority has launched quality assurance expansion efforts, with the first of nine fuel laboratories set to open in Port Harcourt by mid-2027.