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Nigeria is taking its 215 Tcf gas opportunity to China.
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RMAFC is planning an oil and gas investment summit for November.
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Fresh capital is being sought across the upstream and downstream sectors.
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Government wants more petroleum investment to translate into higher public revenue.
September 08, (THEWILL) — Nigeria is preparing to take its oil and gas investment pitch to China as the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission seeks fresh capital for a sector that remains critical to government revenue.
RMAFC has begun consultations with government agencies and petroleum-sector stakeholders ahead of a proposed Oil and Gas Investment Summit in China, tentatively scheduled for late November 2026.
Gas is expected to feature prominently at the summit, with investment opportunities spanning exploration and production, processing and other downstream activities.
Dr Ekene Enefe, chairman of RMAFC’s Investment Monitoring Committee, said the commission identified significant opportunities in the gas sector and wanted to bring investors into both upstream and downstream activities.
“We looked at the opportunities in the gas sector of the economy and felt that we need to intervene, especially in bringing investors to the sector, both upstream and downstream”, he said.
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Nigeria’s Gas Reserves Are the Big Pitch
Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, put Nigeria’s estimated 215 trillion cubic feet of gas reserves at the centre of the investment case.
He said developing the resource could drive industrial growth, strengthen the regional energy market and improve Nigeria’s position in the global energy industry.
Unlocking that opportunity will require investment across the gas value chain, including exploration, processing, pipelines and liquefied natural gas infrastructure. Government has increasingly positioned gas as a key part of its industrialisation and energy strategy.
For RMAFC, attracting capital is also a fiscal play. Oil and gas earnings remain an important source of revenue for the Federation Account, from which funds are shared among the Federal Government, states and local governments.
China Is More Than a Conference Venue
RMAFC said China was selected because of its importance in global energy and investment. Consultations have already extended to the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission, the Presidency and Nigerian diplomatic officials in Beijing.
A stakeholder breakfast meeting in Abuja on Wednesday is expected to bring together government agencies involved in petroleum and investment to shape the proposed summit. A planning committee will also be established as preparations continue.
RMAFC is also linking the investment push to its monitoring role in the petroleum industry. Enefe said the commission had made progress in revenue recovery and penalties against defaulting operators, including obligations under the Petroleum Industry Act relating to gas flaring.
For Nigeria, the proposition to investors is straightforward. It has a vast gas resource, but converting reserves into production, infrastructure, industrial activity and higher public revenue requires capital. The proposed China summit is an attempt to close that gap.
Joy Onuorah is a business journalist and brand communications specialist covering financial markets, artificial intelligence, digital economy, and the ideas reshaping business across Africa and the global market. Beyond her reporting for TheWill, Joy uses brand strategy, storytelling, copywriting, and high-value SEO to help brands build lasting market authority.
