Nigeria and France are seeking to strengthen cooperation in the oil and gas industry, with stakeholders urging increased investment, technology transfer, local content development and improved infrastructure to unlock Nigeria’s vast 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 drawn from the energy industry, government and diplomatic community identified gas development, energy transition, decarbonisation and regulatory stability as critical areas for expanding economic cooperation between the two countries.
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of TotalEnergies Nigeria, Matthieu Bouyer, said the energy sector presented significant opportunities to deepen the longstanding relationship between Nigeria and France.
Bouyer said TotalEnergies, which has operated in Nigeria for 70 years, remained committed to developing local capacity, supporting Nigerian contractors and building sustainable 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 currently operate in Nigeria across sectors such as energy, infrastructure, logistics, technology, agriculture and consumer goods, providing thousands of jobs.
According to him, bilateral trade between Nigeria and France reached approximately $4.7bn in 2025, reflecting the growing opportunities for stronger commercial relations.
Bouyer identified energy transition and decarbonisation, gas infrastructure and domestic utilisation, as well as technology transfer and local content development, as three priority areas requiring greater collaboration.
He stressed that Nigeria’s energy transition must be aligned with the country’s development priorities, particularly the need to expand energy supply while progressively reducing carbon emissions.
He noted that improved gas recovery, methane reduction and energy efficiency could deliver both environmental and economic benefits.
On gas development, the TotalEnergies chief described Nigeria’s natural gas resources as a major opportunity for power generation, manufacturing, exports and broader industrial growth.
However, he maintained that adequate infrastructure and a stable investment climate were essential to attract the capital needed to develop the sector.
He also called for stronger partnerships that would enable Nigerian companies to acquire technical expertise and participate in increasingly complex energy projects.
The Managing Director of Nigeria LNG Limited, Adeleye Falade, also underscored the strategic importance of natural gas to Nigeria’s industrialisation and economic diversification.
Falade said Nigeria had approximately 215 trillion cubic feet of proven gas reserves, while estimates of its broader gas resources stood at about 600 trillion cubic feet.
He argued that natural gas should be viewed not merely as a transitional fuel but as a key driver of industrial development, clean cooking, export earnings and economic growth.
“Nigeria’s energy transition must be just, realistic and investable,” he said, explaining that Africa’s energy development challenges differed significantly from those of Europe, particularly in access to reliable electricity.
Falade pointed to NLNG’s Train 7 expansion project as an example of how international partnerships could promote domestic industrial development and boost Nigeria’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, which is expected to begin operations towards the end of 2027, will increase NLNG’s production capacity from 22 million tonnes per annum to about 30 million tonnes per annum.
According to Falade, the expansion has created significant opportunities for Nigerian contractors and manufacturers, with local content accounting for approximately 95 per cent of the project.
He added that about 16,000 people, largely young Nigerians, had been engaged during construction, while activities across the wider project were estimated to have supported approximately 40,000 jobs.
The NLNG managing director further disclosed that Nigerian companies had manufactured several project components, including pressure vessels, cables and valves, demonstrating the growing capacity of local manufacturers to participate in major energy developments.
He said the technical expertise, skills and facilities developed through the Train 7 project would support future industrial projects and strengthen the competitiveness of Nigerian engineering companies.
On NLNG’s contribution to the economy, Falade said 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 noted that further expansion of production would increase government revenue through taxes, dividends and other payments.
Falade also highlighted the need to expand domestic gas utilisation, recalling that NLNG 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 linked to the use of traditional cooking fuels was estimated to cause approximately 100,000 deaths annually in Nigeria, with women particularly affected.
According to him, NLNG’s capacity to supply the domestic LPG market is expected to increase by about 50 per cent following the completion of Train 7.
Speaking at the event, the Consul-General of France in Lagos, Laurent Favier, said French Week provided an opportunity to transform diplomatic and commercial relations into practical business engagements and investment commitments.
Favier said Nigeria’s energy sector offered substantial investment opportunities despite the country’s persistent electricity access challenges.
He disclosed that close to 100 million Nigerians still lacked reliable electricity, underscoring the urgent need for investment in energy infrastructure and improved power supply.
Citing 2025 industry figures, the French diplomat 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 their investments, technical expertise and employment opportunities.
Favier also highlighted TotalEnergies’ $550m Ubeta gas development project, being executed 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, further strengthening the link between upstream gas development and Nigeria’s growing liquefied natural gas capacity.
The discussions underscored the importance of stronger Nigeria-France partnerships in mobilising investment, expanding gas infrastructure, transferring technology and building local capacity to support Nigeria’s long-term energy and industrial development.
