Nigeria’s natural gas exports rose by 19 per cent year-on-year to 733,778 million standard cubic feet in the first eight months of 2026.

This was disclosed in a data published by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, according to Nairametrics.

The increase was driven by higher export volumes between January and August, with the 2026 figure representing a significant share of the country’s total gas production during the period.

NUPRC data showed that Nigeria produced 1.92 million MMSCF of gas during the eight-month period, comprising 959,941 MMSCF of associated gas and 963,321 MMSCF of non-associated gas.

Gas export sales stood at 733,778 MMSCF between January and August 2026, up from 615,370 MMSCF recorded in the corresponding period of 2025.

The increase of 118,408 MMSCF represents a 19.25 per cent year-on-year growth, driven by higher export volumes in most months.

In August alone, Nigeria exported 92,410.74 MMSCF of gas, compared with 65,732.24 MMSCF in the same month of 2025.

Despite the increase in exports, domestic gas sales remained substantial at 516,780 MMSCF during the eight-month period, while 525,768 MMSCF was utilised in the field.

Overall, 1.78 million MMSCF, representing about 92.4 per cent of total gas production, was utilised during the period.

Total gas production stood at 1.92 million MMSCF in the first eight months of 2026, compared with about 1.84 million MMSCF recorded in the corresponding period of 2025.

NUPRC data indicated that the July and August 2026 figures, including gas shrinkage, remained provisional and could be revised following the quarterly gas data reconciliation exercise for the third quarter.

The rise in gas exports points to increased utilisation of Nigeria’s gas resources for international markets, while providing an additional source of foreign exchange earnings.