Uche Cecil Izuora
Infrastructure crunch is slowing push to explore new gas frontiers in the West Africa sub region.
Currently, West Africa’s push to expand natural-gas production is entering a phase where the ability to build infrastructure and deliver projects on schedule may be as important as the region’s reserves, according to Regional Segment Leader for Energies and Chemicals at Schneider Electric West Africa, Iretomiwa Odusote.
The concerns is coming as Nigeria advances a new wave of gas investment, including the Final Investment Decision by TotalEnergies EP Nigeria and AMNI International Petroleum Development Company on the Ima Gas Development Project.
The Ima project, located offshore near Bonny Island and spanning OMLs 112 and 117, is expected to produce about 350 million standard cubic feet of gas a day, with first gas targeted for late 2028. TotalEnergies said the project represents an investment of more than $650m, while Nigerian government figures put the overall project investment at about $1.108bn.
The development is expected to supply gas to Nigeria LNG’s Train 7, providing additional feedstock as the country seeks to increase gas production and strengthen its position in the global LNG market.
The investment decision illustrates the transition from identifying gas resources to executing projects capable of delivering commercial production.
Odusote, noted that transition is becoming the central challenge for West Africa’s gas industry.
“Possessing abundant gas reserves alone is no longer enough,” Odusote noted , stressing that operators face increasing pressure to commercialise projects quickly and generate returns on significant capital investments.
She identified three measures that will increasingly determine whether gas developments succeed: the speed at which they reach first gas, operational safety and reliability, and sustained production efficiency over the life of the asset.
Global LNG trade reached a record 437 million tonnes in 2025, an increase of 6.3 per cent from the previous year, according to the International Gas Union’s 2026 World LNG Report.
The United States and Qatar were among the largest sources of additional supply, while Mauritania and Senegal joined the ranks of LNG exporters.
Nigeria accounted for 3.4 per cent of global LNG exports in 2025, ranking seventh among exporters, according to the report. Its exports rose by about 1 million tonnes during the year to 14.78 million tonnes.
That places Nigeria and other West African producers in a market where new projects are competing for capital and long-term customers with developments in the US, Qatar, Australia, East Africa and elsewhere.
“Gas projects are capital intensive by nature,” Odusote said. “Once projects receive final investment approval, operators face immediate pressure to begin production and commercialise output quickly.”
The ability to reach first gas on schedule therefore becomes important not only for project economics but also for the region’s competitiveness in attracting future investment.
But reaching first gas is only the beginning. Once production starts, operators must maintain reliable output while controlling energy consumption, equipment performance, maintenance requirements, and operating costs.
Odusote’s argument extends beyond the physical infrastructure required to produce and transport gas.
Many facilities face fragmented operational data, limited visibility across production processes, inefficient energy use and reactive maintenance, she wrote. Such weaknesses can remain hidden until they begin affecting production, reliability or profitability.
Greater access to real-time operational information can allow operators to monitor equipment health, energy consumption, production efficiency and process performance across a facility.
“When operators can monitor equipment health, energy consumption, production efficiency and process performance from a unified operational view, they are better positioned to identify bottlenecks early, optimise performance and minimise unplanned downtime,” she wrote.
The approach reflects a broader push in the energy industry to combine physical infrastructure with automation and digital systems.
Electrification, process automation, safety systems and digital technologies have traditionally been designed and delivered as separate workstreams, often involving different vendors.
The executive argued that while those systems can function independently, fragmented delivery can increase project complexity and create integration challenges that persist after construction.
“An integrated approach could give engineering, procurement and construction companies and asset owners greater coordination during project delivery while leaving operators with systems that are easier to maintain, optimise and expand.
“That issue is particularly relevant to projects such as Ima, which are moving from investment decisions into engineering, procurement and construction,” the expert said.
She quoted TotalEnergies, saying all four major construction packages for the Ima development are expected to be executed by Nigerian contractors, while a consortium of seven banks is financing the project. Nigerian financial institutions are providing more than 70 per cent of the financing.
The project is also expected to include permanent methane monitoring and no routine flaring, according to TotalEnergies.
Senegal and Mauritania began exporting LNG in 2025 through the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim project, adding new producers to an African LNG market that also includes Nigeria, Algeria, Egypt and Angola.
Ghana, meanwhile, continues to focus on the use of domestic gas for power generation and industrial development.
She stated that the developments give West Africa a growing role in global gas markets but also raise questions about whether the region can consistently deliver projects on time and maintain production once facilities are operational.
“The next generation of successful gas projects will be distinguished not only by the size of their reserves but also by how quickly they achieve first gas, how consistently they operate, and how effectively they leverage integrated infrastructure and digital technologies to sustain production over decades,” Odusote said.