Nigeria’s Gas Master Plan 2.0 targets infrastructure investment of 12 bcf per day and more than $60 billion by 2030.
Angola’s 25-year gas master plan aims to develop more than 40 gas fields and expand the domestic industry.
Tanzania’s proposed $42 billion LNG facility and Republic of Congo’s 10 tcf gas resource development plans continue to move forward.
The Gas Master Plan 2.0, which Nigeria launched in January 2026, is the most significant update to the country’s gas strategy in more than a decade. The framework targets production of 12 billion cubic feet per day (bcf/d) by 2030, while mobilizing more than $60 billion in investment across pipelines, power generation, and downstream markets.
Similar gas master plans are emerging across Africa as governments seek to convert vast gas reserves into economic growth, power supply and industrial development. But can these plans realistically reshape energy markets, unlock investment and accelerate industrialization across the continent?
How countries are designing their gas economies
Nigeria’s latest Gas Master Plan 2.0 marks a shift from policy formulation to implementation across the value chain. The plan focuses on pipeline expansion, gas power generation capacity, flaring reduction and downstream mobility markets such as CNG and LPG to strengthen domestic consumption.
The strategy also emphasizes the infrastructure that connects gas supply and demand centers. Projects such as the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) pipeline and the Obiahu-Oblikon-Oben (OB3) pipeline aim to link production hubs in the south with industrial clusters in the north, while mini-LNG and “gas-by-rail” initiatives target regions with insufficient access to pipelines.
Angola has adopted a similar strategy through its 25-year gas master plan, which aims to diversify its hydrocarbon sector beyond crude oil. The framework supports the development of more than 40 gas fields, expansion of processing facilities, and new downstream industries such as ammonia and methanol production.
ANPG, Angola’s upstream regulator, aims to use the framework to expand the domestic market, curb flaring and increase supply to the Angola LNG plant. At an energy event in Luanda last September, ANPG Gas Block Chairman Americo Fernández said the strategy sets out a long-term vision that balances “local use and export” for the sake of security.
Key anchor projects include the Kilma and Maboqueiro gas fields (the former achieving first gas supplies in March 2026) and the expansion of Soyo’s gas power generation capacity. Fiscal incentives, tax breaks and enhanced cost recovery mechanisms are aimed at attracting international investment in upstream and midstream gas infrastructure.
South Africa’s draft 2024 gas master plan focuses on tackling the looming ‘gas cliff’ as supplies from Mozambique decline. The strategy outlines LNG import terminals, pipeline networks and gas-to-power projects designed to support energy security while reducing dependence on coal-fired power generation.
The Republic of Congo and Tanzania are developing complementary frameworks. The Republic of Congo aims to monetize 10 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of gas through new LNG and processing projects, while Tanzania’s utilization plan targets industrial development and exports through a proposed $42 billion LNG facility.
Can you provide a gas plan?
If successfully implemented, these master plans have the potential to reshape Africa’s gas value chain by linking upstream discoveries to domestic demand centers. Pipeline networks, LNG terminals, and processing plants are designed to convert stranded resources into commercially viable supplies.
Investment opportunities span the entire value chain. Upstream exploration, midstream pipelines, LNG terminals, and downstream industries such as petrochemicals, fertilizer production, and gas power generation are all subject to financial incentives and regulatory reforms built into the national framework.
However, lack of infrastructure and funding constraints remain major barriers. Projects such as LNG terminals, cross-border pipelines, and gas power plants require billions of dollars of capital and long-term demand commitments before investors reach a final investment decision.
Energy transfer with gas
Despite the challenges, Africa’s expanding portfolio of gas master plans reflects a broader shift to gas as a transition fuel to support industrialization and power generation. Regional cooperation through initiatives such as the SADC Regional Gas Master Plan could also accelerate cross-border gas trade.
Ultimately, whether these plans transform the market will depend on execution. If governments can provide the infrastructure, regulatory certainty and stable demand, an African gas strategy could attract billions of dollars in investment and reshape the continent’s energy landscape.
