He estimated that expanding the network could contact for concerning $22 billion in feasible investment.
Amagada said stronger pipeline infrastructure would guide power generation, manufacturing, fertiliser production, petrochemicals and other gas-based industries.
He disclosed that Nigeria supplied around 4.7 billion cubic feet of commercialised gas daily in 2025, including domestic provide accounting for adjacent to 2.1 billion cubic feet.
“No decade of gas excluding a decade of pipeline infrastructure,” he said.
He additionally warned that ageing pipelines posed big integrity risks, as established defects could worsen under operating and environmental conditions.
Amagada said Amelin Projects newly inspected a 55-kilometre pipeline and identified additional than 3,000 defects, including sections together with large wall loss.
He urged operators to travel away from reactive maintenance towards exposure-based systems competent of identifying and addressing defects in advance of they consequence in failures.
He moreover advocated increased employ of web-based monitoring, leak detection, periodic inspections and artificial intelligence in pipeline surveillance.
Amagada cited the 130-kilometre Obiafu-Obrikom-Oben (OB3) pipeline as an illustration of technology overcoming difficult geographical conditions. He said Horizontal Directional Drilling enabled the pipeline to cross beneath the River Niger and transport up to two billion cubic feet of gas daily.
“The opening is not plainly further pipelines; it is creating an complete pipeline swap,” he said, noting that every added kilometre of pipeline would generate name for for engineering, inspection, integrity monitoring and maintenance services.
Amagada said government gas development plans projected production of concerning 10 billion cubic feet daily by 2027 and 12 billion cubic feet daily by 2030.
Energy experts have called for the expansion and modernisation of Nigeria’s pipeline network to unlock the country’s vast gas resources, strengthen grant to industries and decreased environmental and current risks.
The experts spoke during the Canadian Manage Commissioner Facility B2B Matchmaking Programme for multinational pipeline companies, held on the sidelines of the 2026 Cross-border Pipeline Conference and Expo in Calgary, Canada.
Dr Eloho Amagada, Leader Executive Officer of Amelin Projects Ltd and a board associate of the Pipeline Professionals Collaboration of Nigeria (OUTLINE), said Nigeria had sizeable gas reserves but lacked satisfactory infrastructure to enter production using growing domestic and industrial request.
According to him, Nigeria’s proven gas reserves stood at on 215.19 trillion cubic feet (TCF), whilst the country’s pipeline network exceeded 2,500 kilometres. He stressed that achieving those targets would demand enough pipeline capacity to evacuate gas from producing areas.
On pipeline integrity, Managing Director of Westend Diamond Energy Ltd, Reuben Temerigha, urged operators to prioritise maintenance based on failure risks rather than pipeline age alone.
“Assessment priorities should observe uncertainty rather than a universal age threshold,” Temerigha said.
He recommended combining inspection results, operating records and targeted field assessments to spot defects requiring immediate attention.
Temerigha too urged operators to weigh latent impacts on communities, waterways and sensitive habitats when assessing pipeline risks.
He said unresolved pipeline anomalies could escalate into environmental emergencies, stressing the prefer for prompt examination and corrective measure.
On environmental protection, Temerigha called for soil, drainage and waterway assessments earlier than excavation, as well as measurable targets for restoring pipeline rights-of-route.
He continued advocated upper involvement of affected communities in monitoring environmental recovery.
The five-day conference brought together pipeline operators, engineers, regulators, contractors and technology providers from approximately the world to consider infrastructure development, pipeline integrity and emerging technologies in the sector.
Source: Experts seek stronger pipeline network to unlock Nigeria’s gas
