On July 2, 2026, the International Energy Agency officially welcomed Nigeria as its newest associate member. The announcement was made by Ekperipe Ekpo, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), at the NOG Energy Week 2026 conference in Abuja on Tuesday.
With the move, Nigeria becomes the IEA’s sixth African associate member — and the first country from OPEC to get that status.
Ekpo said the admission puts Nigeria in a unique position to bridge both sides of the global energy conversation.
“As the first OPEC member to partner with the IEA, Nigeria is anchoring a balanced global dialogue,” he said. “We’ll push for equitable energy transitions while also defending the right of developing nations to responsibly develop their gas resources.”
It’s not the only leadership win for Nigeria this month. The country also took over the presidency of the 2026 Gas Exporting Countries Forum ministerial meeting. On top of that, Nigerian Philip Mshelbila was elected Secretary-General of GECF.
“This dual leadership shows the world’s confidence in our technical expertise and policy direction,” Ekpo added.
He said the government’s focus since taking office has been clear: turn natural gas from just an export product into the engine of Nigeria’s economy.
“Every policy we’ve pushed asks one question: how does this make the Nigerian economy more competitive and resilient?” Ekpo said.
That question is driving the government’s “Decade of Gas” initiative. The plan is to channel more gas into domestic use — to power industries, supply fertilizer and petrochemical plants, support commercial transport, and provide clean cooking for millions of households.
“Resilient economies aren’t built by only exporting raw materials. They’re built by creating value at home,” Ekpo said.
“Every cubic foot of gas we use locally creates jobs, boosts industry, cuts import dependence, and improves living standards.”
