Africa may be sitting on vast reserves of natural gas, but without the infrastructure to move that gas from where it is produced to where it is needed, the continent risks leaving a major economic opportunity untapped.
That is the warning from Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana National Gas Company Limited, Judith Adjobah Blay, who is urging African governments, policymakers and investors to shift greater attention towards the infrastructure needed to process, transport, store and distribute natural gas.
Speaking as a panellist at Africa Oil Week (AOW) 2026, Ms. Blay said the continent’s gas ambitions would remain difficult to achieve unless investment in midstream infrastructure is accelerated.
She was speaking on the theme, “Building the Backbone: Midstream Gas Infrastructure as the Link Between Supply and Demand.”
According to her, Africa’s challenge is no longer simply about discovering or producing gas, but ensuring that the resource can reliably reach power plants, industries and communities that need it.
She said stronger investment in pipelines, processing facilities, storage and distribution networks would be crucial to closing the gap between gas supply and demand.
Ms. Blay also called for deeper partnerships between African governments, national oil and gas companies, private investors and development finance institutions to mobilise the enormous capital required to expand the continent’s gas infrastructure.
For Ghana, the issue carries particular weight as the country increasingly looks to natural gas to strengthen energy security, support industrialisation and power economic growth.
Ms. Blay’s participation at AOW 2026 also offered Ghana an opportunity to share its experience in the midstream gas sector while making the case for greater regional cooperation in developing Africa’s energy infrastructure.
“Africa has the gas resources. The next frontier is building the infrastructure that connects those resources to the people, industries and economies that need them,” she said.
Her message effectively puts the spotlight on what could become Africa’s next major energy challenge: having enough gas is one thing; having the infrastructure to deliver it is another.
For African economies seeking reliable power, stronger industries and new investment opportunities, closing that infrastructure gap could determine whether the continent’s gas wealth becomes a catalyst for transformation or remains an underutilised resource.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
