Participants at the just-concluded Nigeria International Energy Summit (NIES) brought to the forefront the urgency required to facilitate the utilisation of natural gas toward fast-tracking development, as well as harnessing the opportunities inherent in it for Nigeria’s economic growth and that of Africa.
In this interview, Chuka Eze, the managing director of Frazimex Engineering Limited (Subsidiary of Oilserv Group of Companies), speaks on the catalysts needed to spur investment and bring future gains within reach, while reiterating the Group’s strong commitment to becoming a frontline player in actualising these strides. Dipo Oladehinde brings excerpts:
With over 210.5 trillion cubic feet of proven gas reserves in Nigeria, yet persistent complaints of gas shortages in the power sector, what needs to change?
From data provided by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Nigeria’s proven gas reserves stand at over 210 trillion cubic feet. Discussions at the Nigeria International Energy Summit 2026, themed Energy for Peace and Prosperity, kept securing a shared future at the centre of conversation.
Nigeria has gas in abundance, and the means to move it. Gas is a catalyst that will drive industrialisation, deliver power to people, and make life easier. However, the gas that will create a genuine economic impact is not the gas still underground. It is the gas that has been extracted, processed, and transported to where it is needed.
The Decade of Gas framework addresses demand, supply, and the infrastructure required to connect the two. That is precisely where Oilserv plays a significant role, engineering and building the gas infrastructure needed to bridge the gap between source and end-user.
We have strong policies in place, but what is urgently required now is action, particularly from the upstream. The upstream sector must commit to investing in extracting the gas beneath the ground. The transportation systems are ready. Nigeria has credible EPC service contractors capable of designing and building the required infrastructure. There is a growing population, a growing market, and a growing demand. The gas exists. The capability exists. What is needed is decisive funding and the will to bring these projects to life.
What is the current completion status of the AKK pipeline project?
The main pipeline welding on the AKK was completed 100 percent in December last year. Gas from the OB3 project will feed into the AKK. With the OB3 line connected to the cross section, where a control tower is situated, that entire line will be free to supply gas to the AKK. What remains is backend work to finalise that connection.
Can you walk us through Oilserv’s major interventions in the domestic gas space?
Oilserv is a group of companies strategically established to provide Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) services across the oil and gas sector. We are playing a central role in Nigeria’s most critical gas pipeline projects.
Chief among these is the OB3, the Obiafu-Obrikom-Oben gas pipeline, a 48-inch diameter, 127-kilometre pipeline that includes a gas treatment plant capable of processing 2 billion standard cubic feet of gas per day across four trains, each handling 500 million scf per day. Oilserv designed the facility and pipeline, and the section we constructed has been commissioned. It is currently flowing 300 million scf of gas daily.
Beyond OB3, Oilserv has been instrumental in the AKK pipeline and the Assa North-Ohaji South (ANOH) gas project. On the ANOH project for NNPC, we delivered a manifold and a 36-inch, 23-kilometre pipeline feeding into the Construction Tracking Management System (CTMS). That line, designed to receive gas from Renaissance (formerly SPDC) and Seplat, was commissioned by the President in May last year and is currently flowing gas to Seplat.
How did Oilserv manage the engineering complexity and construction risks on a project as large as AKK?
The AKK Segment 1 comprises a 40-inch, 304-kilometre main pipeline with 12 block valve stations, one intermediate pigging station, and two terminal gas stations, one at Ajaokuta and another in Abuja, with a combined capacity of 700 million scf of gas.
The detailed engineering was executed entirely by Nigerians, through Frazimex, and it has been delivered. This stands as a testament to the talent that exists in Nigeria. We deployed approximately 200 engineers across various disciplines to deliver the detailed engineering for AKK. Similarly, the engineering for the ANOH project was done in-country by Frazimex and has since been commissioned.
We are currently providing engineering services for NLNG, Seplat, and Aradel, and have been doing so for the past four years. The question of whether Nigeria has the capacity to undertake engineering of critical projects is answered emphatically: yes. What we need is the opportunity, and more projects so that in-country capacity continues to grow.
What is Oilserv doing to build long-term local capacity?
For the past three years, Oilserv has run a dedicated graduate development programme. Each year, we engage 20 fresh graduates and put them through a two-year structured programme, rotating them across the business, projects, and providing hands-on training. The first cohort of 20 has graduated. A second set followed. The 2026 cohort just completed their induction last week and is beginning the programme now. We plan to engage another 20 next year.
This is a deliberate, intentional commitment. We believe that Nigerians, and Africans more broadly, should be trained and equipped to handle critical projects at home, and eventually export that expertise. The talent is here. The capability is here. What must now follow is investment, opportunity, and decisiveness from all stakeholders to move Nigeria’s gas potential from underground to impact.
