Gas Output Holds Near 7.93 bcf/d as Nigeria Leans Into Its Non-Oil Energy Bet
Gas Output Holds Near 7.93 bcf/d as Nigeria Leans Into Its Non-Oil Energy Bet
Nigeria’s natural gas production edged up to 7.93 billion standard cubic feet per day in May 2026, a 0.63% increase year-on-year from the 7.88 bcf/d recorded in May 2025, according to the latest Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission data. The number itself looks incremental, but the direction and composition behind it tell a broader story about where the country’s energy strategy is headed.
The monthly figure eased marginally from April’s 7.94 bcf/d, yet the year-to-date average has climbed to 7.87 bcf/d, improving on the 7.82 bcf/d seen in the first quarter. Since January, output has traced a steady path upward: 7.80 bcf/d, then 7.81 bcf/d in February, 7.85 bcf/d in March, 7.94 bcf/d in April, and now 7.93 bcf/d in May. That consistency matters more than the decimal-point swings. It suggests operational stability in a sector that the Federal Government wants to anchor economic diversification, power supply, and industrial growth.
The mix of production is shifting in a way policymakers will welcome. Non-Associated Gas, at 3.98 bcf/d, slightly outpaced Associated Gas at 3.96 bcf/d in May. The balance between the two has long been a proxy for how much of Nigeria’s gas is being produced deliberately from dedicated fields rather than as a by-product of oil. That NAG now leads, even narrowly, reflects the maturation of projects designed specifically for gas and the push to treat gas as a primary commodity, not an afterthought to crude.
Utilisation data reinforces the point. Of the 7.93 bcf/d produced, about 92% was used between January and April. In May, 3.07 bcf/d went to export sales, roughly 40% of output. Domestic sales took 2.18 bcf/d, or 26.6%, while 2.11 bcf/d, another 26.5%, was consumed in field operations and for producers’ own use. Flaring accounted for 0.57 bcf/d, about 6.9% of production. The flare number is the one to watch. It remains stubbornly in the 6% to 7% range month to month, down from historical highs but still short of the government’s 2030 zero-routine-flaring target. Still, utilisation above 91% each month this year shows that more gas is being captured and monetized than wasted.
The domestic slice is particularly important. At 2.18 bcf/d, supply to the home market supports power generation, manufacturing, and the broader gas expansion agenda aimed at reducing reliance on diesel and petrol. As the government rules out new fuel taxes and tries to shield consumers from energy price shocks, pushing more gas into domestic use becomes a fiscal and social buffer. Export volumes at 3.07 bcf/d keep Nigeria relevant in global LNG and regional pipeline markets, providing hard currency at a time when reserves have just crossed $50 billion again and the naira is showing relative stability.
Context from earlier in the year sharpens the picture. Between January and April, Nigeria produced 947.78 Bscf of gas and utilized 872.69 Bscf for domestic supply, exports, and operations, while 57.34 Bscf was flared. That puts the challenge in scale: over 50 Bscf lost in four months is still significant, but the utilisation rate above 91% indicates progress. The NUPRC’s Gas Development Roadmap, unveiled last October, targets unlocking over 55 trillion cubic feet of uncommitted reserves and drawing new investment across the value chain. With proven reserves above 200 trillion cubic feet, the resource base isn’t the constraint. Infrastructure, commercial frameworks, and offtake certainty are.
The May data therefore reads as a status update on a longer transition. Production is rising, slowly but steadily. Non-associated gas is taking a larger role. Domestic consumption is growing alongside exports. Flaring is down but not out. For an economy trying to diversify beyond crude, manage energy costs without new taxes, and meet climate commitments by 2030, those are the metrics that matter. The next test will be whether output can break and hold above 8 bcf/d, whether flare percentages can fall below 6% and keep going, and whether the Gas Development Roadmap translates uncommitted reserves into actual molecules. For now, 7.93 bcf/d keeps Nigeria on the path, but the distance to the target is still measured in both volume and policy execution.
