GECF Secretary-General Highlights Energy Challenges in Africa at Nigeria Summit

Philip Mshelbila, the Secretary-General of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF), emphasized at the 2026 Nigeria International Energy Summit in Abuja that over 600 million people in Africa lack access to electricity, and a substantial number also lack access to clean cooking facilities. Mshelbila, who is the immediate past Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG), stressed the need for a structural transformation towards natural gas utilization to address energy poverty on the continent.

He highlighted that Africa's total energy consumption is projected to triple by 2050, necessitating a shift towards cleaner energy sources. Mshelbila also underscored the importance of natural gas as a resilient and critical component of the current and future energy mix, especially amidst global energy demand projections.

He commended recent improvements in Nigeria's energy sector and emphasized the country's pivotal role in shaping Africa's gas narrative.