By Tosin Kolade

African countries have been urged to invest in gas-based industries and local technologies to create jobs and drive industrial growth from the continent’s natural gas resources.

Dr Emeka Okafor, Convener of the Emogas International Natural Gas-Based Industry Conference and Exhibition (EINGICE), made the call on Wednesday at the opening of 3rd EINGICE 2026 in Abuja.

Okafor said governments alone could not drive Africa’s energy and industrial transformation, stressing the need for collaboration among investors, industry leaders, researchers and entrepreneurs.

“We have no business being poor in Africa,” he said, urging governments, investors, industry leaders and researchers to work together to turn the continent’s gas wealth into economic prosperity.

He identified inadequate infrastructure, dependence on imported technologies and institutional weaknesses as barriers to developing gas-based industries.

He said Africa needed reliable energy supplies, predictable investment policies and stronger domestic value chains to accelerate industrialisation.

Okafor urged governments to award contracts based on merit, competence and capacity to deliver rather than personal relationships.

“Project allocation must be based on merit, competence and the capacity to deliver, rather than personal relationships or patronage,” he said.

He warned that favouritism could result in abandoned projects and wasted resources.

The convener urged investors to explore opportunities across the gas value chain and industry leaders to support African initiatives.

He also called on entrepreneurs to develop solutions that address local needs and create economic opportunities.

Okafor advocated stronger partnerships between universities and industry to translate research into commercially viable innovations.

He urged African countries to create opportunities for skilled professionals and young people to contribute to industrial development.

He also called on businesses to embrace artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies to improve competitiveness.

According to him, Africa must develop local capacity to apply and commercialise these technologies.

Okafor said the continent’s gas wealth should be measured not only by its reserves but also by the industries established, jobs created and products manufactured locally.

“The time for ambition without execution has passed. The time for fragmented efforts has passed,” he said, urging stakeholders to turn discussions into investments and practical results.

Earlier, Prof. Charles Esimonye, Vice-Chancellor of the European University of Nigeria, said Africa needed stronger partnerships among gas producers, sustained investment and greater participation in the global liquefied natural gas (LNG) market.

Esimonye, who delivered the welcome address, said the conference theme highlighted the need to link gas development with industrialisation and increased participation in global energy trade.

He called for collaboration among governments, industry, academia and entrepreneurs to attract investment and promote technological innovation.

He urged Africa to move beyond consuming imported technologies to developing and commercialising local solutions.

Esimonye said Artificial Intelligence (AI), automation and data analytics could improve industrial efficiency and help protect critical gas infrastructure.

Also speaking, Prof. Mike Onyekonwu, Founder of Laser Engineering and Resources Consultants, commended the organisers for sustaining the conference into its third edition.

He said natural gas could drive industrial and economic growth if supported by investment in domestic utilisation, infrastructure, technology and human capital.

Onyekonwu called for stronger collaboration among governments, regulators, investors, operators and academic institutions to create sustainable value from Africa’s natural resources.

He reaffirmed his organisation’s commitment to the energy sector through engineering services, research, professional training and technical capacity development.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that EINGICE 2026 brings together energy industry leaders, policymakers, investors, regulators, technology innovators and entrepreneurs.

The conference, themed “Accelerating Africa’s Global LNG Trade Share and Driving Gas Industrialisation,” focuses on strategic investment, upstream collaboration, LNG market expansion, gas-based industrialisation and artificial intelligence-driven energy innovation. (NAN)

Edited by Joseph Edeh