The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Rt. Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo, has pledged the Federal Government’s support for Axxela Group, expressing optimism that its transition to indigenous ownership will attract local investment and accelerate the development of Nigeria’s gas sector.
Ekpo gave the assurance when he received the board and management of Axxela Group, led by its Chairman, Mr Nzan Ogbe, during a courtesy visit to his office.
The minister welcomed the company’s transition to Nigerian ownership, describing it as an opportunity to mobilise domestic resources and investments to advance the gas industry in line with President Bola Tinubu’s economic development agenda.
He assured Axxela of the Ministry’s readiness to assist in addressing its operational challenges and promoting an enabling environment where indigenous investors can thrive and contribute to the sustainable growth of the sector.
Ekpo emphasised the importance of supporting genuine investors to harness Nigeria’s abundant natural gas resources for economic development, industrialisation and improved energy access.
In his remarks, Ogbe commended the minister’s leadership and reaffirmed Axxela’s commitment to expanding the utilisation of natural gas across critical sectors of the economy.
He said the company remained focused on deploying gas to support industrial growth, transportation, domestic cooking and other essential economic activities.
The Axxela chairman, however, appealed to the Ministry to intervene in resolving conflicting interests among stakeholders across the gas value chain, which he said continued to pose challenges to the company’s operations.
Ogbe expressed confidence that stronger collaboration between the government and private-sector operators would help address industry bottlenecks, encourage investment and maximise the economic benefits of Nigeria’s gas resources.
The engagement underscores the importance of public-private sector cooperation in strengthening indigenous participation, improving the investment climate and advancing the Federal Government’s gas development agenda.
