Authors
- Dr. Abubarkar Ali Chifwang
Abstract
Nigeria’s industrial sector remains chronically underpowered despite the nation’s status as Africa’s largest gas reserve holder. This article examines the legal and regulatory architecture governing Nigeria’s gas-to-power transition and its capacity to sustain industrialisation. Through analysis of statutory instruments, regulatory reports, and comparative jurisdictional models, the article argues that Nigeria’s energy law regime perpetuates a fragmented, supply-centric paradigm that neglects multi-stakeholder governance coordination and the adaptive resilience required for energy security. The Petroleum Industry Act 2021, whilst representing significant legislative reform, retains structural ambiguities in gas pricing, infrastructure access, and regulatory coordination that undermine its industrialisation mandate. Drawing upon resilience theory and collaborative governance scholarship, the article proposes a reconceptualization of energy law as a dynamic system capable of absorbing systemic shocks whilst facilitating equitable gas allocation to industrial consumers. The analysis is situated within broader debates on energy justice and the role of law in mediating the tension between resource extraction and sustainable industrial development. The article concludes that without legal mechanisms embedding collaboration and resilience into the statutory fabric, Nigeria’s gas endowment will continue to serve export markets whilst domestic industrialisation languishes.