Nigeria, France Deepen Energy Ties as NLNG Reveals $149.6bn Revenue, Train 7 Progress

Nigeria and France are seeking to strengthen cooperation in the oil and gas sector, with industry stakeholders calling for increased investment, technology transfer, local content development and improved infrastructure to unlock the country’s energy potential.

The call was made at an energy roundtable organised as part of the 2026 French Week by the Franco-Nigerian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, according to a statement issued on Tuesday.

Participants from the energy industry, government and diplomatic community identified gas development, energy transition, decarbonisation and regulatory stability as key areas for expanding economic cooperation between both countries.

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of TotalEnergies Nigeria, Matthieu Bouyer, said Nigeria’s energy sector offered significant opportunities to strengthen the longstanding relationship between the two countries.

Bouyer noted that TotalEnergies had operated in Nigeria for 70 years and remained committed to developing local capacity, supporting Nigerian contractors and building long-term partnerships.

“We see Nigeria not just as a market, but as a long-term investment destination where we continue to develop people, work with local contractors and build partnerships,” he said.

He disclosed that more than 100 French companies operate in Nigeria across energy, infrastructure, logistics, technology, agriculture and consumer goods, providing thousands of jobs. Bilateral trade between Nigeria and France reached approximately $4.7bn in 2025, he added.

Bouyer identified energy transition and decarbonisation, gas infrastructure and domestic utilisation, as well as technology transfer and local content development as three major areas requiring stronger collaboration.

He argued that Nigeria’s energy transition should reflect the country’s development needs, particularly the need to expand energy supply while gradually reducing carbon emissions. Improved gas recovery, methane reduction and energy efficiency, he said, could deliver both environmental and economic benefits.

On gas development, the TotalEnergies chief described Nigeria’s natural gas resources as a major opportunity for electricity generation, manufacturing, exports and industrial growth. However, he stressed that adequate infrastructure and a stable investment environment would be essential to attract the capital needed to develop the sector.

He also called for partnerships that would equip Nigerian companies with technical expertise and enable them to compete in more complex energy projects.

The Managing Director of Nigeria LNG Limited, Adeleye Falade, also underscored the importance of gas to Nigeria’s industrialisation and economic diversification.

Falade disclosed that Nigeria had approximately 215 trillion cubic feet of proven gas reserves, while estimates of its wider gas resources stood at about 600 trillion cubic feet. He maintained that gas should be seen not merely as a transitional fuel but as a foundation for industrial development, clean cooking, export earnings and economic growth.

“Nigeria’s energy transition must be just, realistic and investable,” he said, noting that Africa faced different energy development challenges from Europe, particularly regarding access to reliable electricity.

Falade cited NLNG’s Train 7 expansion project as an example of how international partnerships could support domestic industrial development and increase the country’s gas production capacity.

He disclosed that engineering work on the project was 99.5 per cent complete, procurement had reached 99.8 per cent, while construction was approximately 94 per cent complete.

The project, expected to commence operations towards the end of 2027, is designed to increase NLNG’s production capacity from 22 million tonnes per annum to approximately 30 million tonnes per annum.

According to Falade, the expansion has created opportunities for Nigerian contractors and manufacturers, with local content accounting for about 95 per cent of the project. Approximately 16,000 people, largely young Nigerians, were engaged during construction, while wider project activities supported an estimated 40,000 jobs.

He said Nigerian companies had manufactured several components, including pressure vessels, cables and valves, demonstrating the growing capacity of local manufacturers to participate in major energy projects.

Falade added that the technical skills and facilities developed through Train 7 would support future industrial projects and improve the competitiveness of Nigerian engineering companies.

On NLNG’s economic contribution, he disclosed that the company had generated approximately $149.6bn in revenue since commencing operations, paid $47.9bn in dividends and remitted about $10.5bn in taxes.

He said further expansion of production would increase government earnings through taxes, dividends and other payments.

The NLNG chief also highlighted the importance of domestic gas utilisation, recalling that the company was directed in 2022 to channel all its liquefied petroleum gas production to the Nigerian market to support clean cooking initiatives.

He said household air pollution associated with traditional cooking fuels was estimated to cause approximately 100,000 deaths annually in Nigeria, with women particularly affected. NLNG’s capacity to supply the domestic LPG market is expected to increase by about 50 per cent following the completion of Train 7, he added.

Speaking at the event, the Consul-General of France in Lagos, Laurent Favier, said French Week provided an opportunity to turn diplomatic and commercial relationships into practical business engagements and investment commitments.

Favier acknowledged the investment opportunities in Nigeria’s energy sector but pointed to persistent electricity access challenges, noting that close to 100 million Nigerians still lacked reliable electricity.

Citing 2025 industry figures, he said Nigeria’s crude oil and condensate production averaged 1.77 million barrels per day, while gas supply stood at 7.2 billion standard cubic feet per day.

He identified French companies, including TotalEnergies, SPIE and Schneider Electric, as important contributors to Nigeria’s energy and industrial development through investment, technical expertise and employment.

Favier also highlighted TotalEnergies’ $550m Ubeta gas development project, being undertaken in partnership with NNPC Limited. The project is expected to deliver first gas in 2027 and supply feed gas to NLNG’s Train 7 expansion.