African countries have been urged to invest in gas-based industries, local technologies and infrastructure to create jobs and drive industrial growth from the continent’s natural gas resources.
The Convener of the Emogas International Natural Gas-Based Industry Conference and Exhibition (EINGICE), Emeka Okafor, made the call on Wednesday at the opening of EINGICE 2026 in Abuja.
Okafor said governments alone could not drive Africa’s energy and industrial transformation, stressing the need for collaboration among investors, industry leaders, researchers, universities and entrepreneurs.
He identified inadequate infrastructure, reliance on imported technologies and institutional weaknesses as barriers to industrial development. He also called for reliable energy supplies, predictable investment policies and merit-based contract awards to prevent abandoned projects and waste of public resources.
Okafor urged investors to explore opportunities across the gas value chain and entrepreneurs to develop solutions that address local needs. He also advocated stronger university-industry partnerships to commercialise research, create opportunities for young people and expand local capacity in artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies.
He said Africa’s gas wealth should be measured by the industries established, jobs created and products manufactured locally, rather than reserves alone.
Earlier, the Vice-Chancellor of the European University of Nigeria, Prof. Charles Esimonye, called for stronger partnerships among gas producers, sustained investment and greater African participation in the global liquefied natural gas market.
Esimonye said collaboration among governments, industry, academia and entrepreneurs was essential to attract investment, promote innovation and develop local technologies. He added that artificial intelligence, automation and data analytics could improve industrial efficiency and protect critical gas infrastructure.
Also speaking, the Founder of Laser Engineering and Resources Consultant, Prof. Mike Onyekonwu, said natural gas could drive industrial and economic growth through investment in domestic utilisation, infrastructure, technology and human capital.
Onyekonwu, who commended the organisers for sustaining the conference into its third edition, called for stronger cooperation among governments, regulators, investors, operators and academic institutions to create lasting value from Africa’s natural resources.
He reaffirmed his organisation’s commitment to the energy sector through engineering services, research, professional training and technical capacity development.
