Economy
Nigeria Eyes Bigger Gas Market as EU Blocks Russian LNG

Nigeria is set to increase its Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) exports as the European Union (EU) moves to ban Russian gas imports beginning January 1, 2027.
The development opens a new opportunity for Africa’s largest gas producer to expand its foothold in the global energy market.
The EU announced on Thursday that it had approved fresh sanctions on Moscow over its ongoing war in Ukraine. The sanctions include a full ban on Russian LNG imports from early 2027, one year ahead of the initial timeline.
Nigeria, already a major LNG exporter with key clients in Europe and Asia, is expected to benefit from the vacuum created by the Russian exit.
Analysts told Reuters that new gas projects in countries like Nigeria, Qatar, and the United States would stabilize the global supply chain and prevent major price shocks once the EU sanctions take effect.
Data from the International Group of Liquefied Natural Gas Importers show that Russia currently supplies about 21 million tons of LNG annually to Europe, with roughly 15.5 million tons covered under long-term contracts.
However, experts predict that new global LNG projects will add at least 161 million tons per annum in export capacity by 2027—more than enough to offset Russia’s shortfall.
Energy strategist Florence Schmit of Rabobank said 2027 would mark a turning point for the global gas market.
“There is enough new LNG export capacity, especially from the US and Qatar, to cover any Russian gap. Nigeria’s growing capacity will further strengthen supply stability,” she said.
The United States, which already accounts for over 50 percent of the EU’s LNG imports, is expected to increase its share to as much as 70 percent by 2027.
Qatar is also expanding its North Field project, which will add about 31 million tons per annum to its capacity.
Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG), the country’s main gas operator, currently produces 22 million tons of LNG annually.
Its ongoing Train 7 expansion project aims to raise production to around 30 million tons per year when completed.
Nigeria’s key LNG buyers include Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, Turkey, China, and India.
believe the EU’s ban on Russian LNG will redirect global trade flows rather than reduce total supply, with Russia likely to shift its focus to Asian markets.
Arturo Regalado, an analyst with Kpler, explained that “Russia will still export LNG, but the geography of trade will change.
Analysts believe the Europe will lean more on suppliers like Nigeria, while Russia pivots towards Asia.”
However, energy scholars warn that if Asian buyers reject Russian LNG due to sanctions or political concerns, both European and Asian prices could rise slightly.
The EU’s decision follows pressure from the United States, where President Donald Trump has repeatedly urged Europe to end all energy purchases from Moscow.
Since 2022, the EU has cut its dependency on Russian energy by nearly 90 percent but still imported over €11 billion worth of Russian fuel this year.
Economy
CBN Releases Names Of Heavy Defaulters, Amount
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has published the names of some defaulters, owing over five trillion Naira across several banks.
According to the list released by CBN, Mr. Tony Elumelu of Heirs Holdings took a loan of N41.5 billion at fifteen per cent interest rate per annum.
The list also captured Capital Oil and Gas Industries Limited, owned by the late Senator Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah.
The oil company is the highest defaulter with over one hundred and fifteen billion Naira, according to CBN.
Other on the list include NICON Investments Limited, Bi-Courtney Limited (MMA2) and Josepdam & Sons Limited.

Tony Elumelu of Heirs Holdings
It also includes Tinapa Business Resort, Home Trust Savings, Geometric Power Limited, and the rest.
Below are the some of the debtors with the default amount:
S/N |
Company |
Promoter(s) |
Current Exposure |
| 1. | Capital Oil & Gas Industries Limited | Ifeanyi Ubah | N115,952,152,265.92 |
| 2. | NICON Investments Limited | Jimoh Ibrahim | N59,544,633,980.31 |
| 3. | Heirs Holdings | Tony Elumelu | N41.5 billion |
| 4. | Bi-Courtney Limited (MMA2) | Wale Babalakin (SAN) | N40,798,422,374.02 |
| 5. | Josepdam & Sons Limited | Josephine Damilola, Kuteyi Saheed, Kuteyi Ganiyu | N39,056,674,951.55 |
| 6. | Tinapa Business Resort | Cross River State Government | N36,006,319,844.68 |
| 7. | Home Trust Savings | Chukwukadibia Ajaegbu, Funmi Ademosun |
N30,626,243,344.71 |
| 8. | Geometric Power Limited | Prof. Barth Nnaji, Agatha Obibuaru, Eluma Anike, Paul Nwobodo, Benjamin Chukwuemeka, Dozie Chijioke, Akpe Austine, Nnaji Okechukwu, UBA Trustees Limited, Kunoch Limited, Diamond Capital & Financial Market Limited |
N29,844,500,896.77 |
| 9. | Roygate Properties Limited | Wale Babalakin (SAN), Agumadu John, Alarape Olabode, Okhaleke Ndudi |
N28,137,176,532.32 |
| 10. | Shell Development Petroleum Company | West Multipurpose Co-operative Society Limited (SPDC) Shell Staff, represented by Ikponmwosa Ogiemuda | N26,474,541,188.17 |
| 11. | Anyiam Osigwe Limited | Anyiam-Osigwe, Dorothy Chinyere |
N20,523,322,350.29 |
| 12. | Platinum Capital | Obire Richard, Francis Atuche |
N20,378,820,507.19 |
| 13. | Flotsome Investment Limited | Oboden Ibru, Tejiro Ibru |
N20,218,703,550.96 |
| 14. | Lonestar Drilling | Late Chief Idisi, Margaret Idisi |
N20,207,979,803.22 |
| 15. | Petrologistics Limited | Ugoji Egbujo | N19,576,962,565.35 |
| 16. | Lorna Global Resources | Chimaroke Nnamami | N18,919,109,352.85 |
| 17. | Hosanna Properties Limited | Anionye Chika, Obi Ike C |
Unspecified |
Crime without consequence
Reacting to the expose, a concerned Nigerian, Otunba Mark Adesanya, decried the unhealth business practice of the defaulters stifling the financial industry.
Adesanya said: “There are still many of them roaming freely in an opulence lifestyle.
“If the CBN published all the names of defaulters, there are about 20 of them owing over N5 trillion Naira.
“The past government set up a committee through AMCON (Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria) to get the money from them.
“But just like an elite game, Nigerians did not hear much of what happened.
“These men are super elites and above the law; most of the debts are now classified as bad debts.
“But they are sitting on riches and even contesting elections, and some are in the National Assembly, making laws for us.
“These people are responsible for where we are at the moment.
“Some tonnes and tonnes of money deposited in the banks have disappeared without trace.
“Some debts have been declared doubtful because the effort to retrieve them have not been successful.
“Whereas, those who took the loans from these banks may not have supported it with collateral, getting their collateral to go for it is not possible because there’s nothing on ground to auction.
“This is the seriousness of the huge financial crime they have inflicted on Nigeria.”
Adesanya, therefore, called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to be serious about revitalising the banking industry.
He demanded that those who had contributed to the parlour state of the economy must be brought to book.
“They must cough what they have swallowed.
“Nigeria will only survive if we are determined to take difficult decisions on critical matters bothering on the economic survival of our great country,” he added.
To Build Palm Oil and Cassava Estates Like Malaysia and Prosper Our Rural Families
In the quiet farmlands of Anambra, where generations have tilled the soil with hope, a new dawn is rising.
For too long, our rural communities have worked hard yet gained little.
Our cassava farmers heroes in worn slippers, process their harvest with bare hands.
Our palm oil producers still rely on age old methods, while nations like Malaysia turned palm oil into a global goldmine.
But in this season of political and farming awakening, one man stands with a vision rooted in our soil and aimed at the world, John Nwosu of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

African Democratic Congress (ADC) gubernatorial candidate, Mr. John Chuma Nwosu
Nwosu isn’t just promising development.
He is promising dignity and wealth, actually, a return of pride to the farmers who feed our land.
Nwosu’s blueprint is bold and transformative:
- Build modern palm oil plantations and processing estates

- Develop cassava value-chain zones powered by technology

- Train and support rural farmers with access to finance
- Create storage, processing, and export hubs
- Turn our villages into international agro investment destinations
This is not politics as usual; this is a mission to lift our rural families from subsistence to prosperity.
A mission to ensure that the hands that plant are the hands that profit.
A mission to turn Anambra into Nigeria’s food to wealth capital.
“Proudly Anambra” palm oil and cassava products
Imagine Ogbaru, Ihiala, Aguata, and Ayamelum booming like Malaysia’s Selangor and our youths returning home to run agro-industries, instead of fleeing in search of survival.
Imagine women farmers earning globally competitive incomes, while branded “Proudly Anambra” palm oil and cassava products on shelves from Lagos to London, Dubai to New York.
For years we watched the world grow wealthy from crops that originated here.
Now, John Nwosu says “it is our turn; it is Anambra’s turn”.
No farmer will be forgotten. No rural child will be left behind.
With ADC, our land will work for us not the other way around.
This is not just agriculture, it is liberation. It is job creation. It is rural revival.
And it begins with one vote. One commitment. One vision for prosperity rooted in the red soil of home.
Ndi Anambra, the future is in our farms and the future is now.
Vote John Nwosu, vote ADC!
(DDM) – The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has unveiled a bold food‑security strategy aimed at transforming the Niger Delta into a major agricultural hub.
Diaspora Digital Media (DDM) gathered that the initiative, titled “From Oil to Agriculture: Reimagining the Delta,” seeks to shift the region’s economic focus from crude oil to sustainable agriculture.
The plan outlines investments in irrigation infrastructure, agribusiness value chains, mechanisation support, and youth farming cooperatives across the Niger Delta.
A major objective of the strategy is to reduce over-reliance on oil revenues while increasing food production for domestic consumption and export.
The initiative also aims to create employment opportunities for youths and stimulate local economies in Delta State and neighbouring states.
Funding for the project will come from oil-derivation allocations, donor partnerships, and private-sector investments in agritech companies.
Community engagement and land‑reform support are promised as key components to ensure that local populations benefit from the programme.
Officials say the initiative represents a decisive step toward diversifying the Niger Delta economy and addressing persistent unemployment and poverty challenges.
Critics, however, have raised concerns about the feasibility of the plan, citing past delays, mismanagement, and corruption allegations against the NDDC.
Some stakeholders fear that without strong oversight, the funding could be diverted, leaving the project under‑delivered as seen in previous NDDC initiatives.
Background
The Niger Delta region has long been heavily dependent on crude oil production, contributing significantly to Nigeria’s federal revenue.
Despite oil wealth, the region suffers from underdevelopment, environmental degradation, and high unemployment rates, especially among youths.
Past attempts to diversify the economy have met with limited success, often due to lack of consistent policy implementation and accountability.
Agriculture has been identified as a viable alternative to oil dependency, given the region’s fertile land, favourable climate, and access to water resources.
The new plan aims to leverage these natural advantages while integrating modern agritech solutions to increase productivity and efficiency.
Implications
If successfully implemented, the NDDC’s strategy could transform the Niger Delta into a major food supplier for Nigeria and the West African sub-region.
The project has the potential to reduce youth restiveness by providing sustainable employment in farming and agribusiness.
It may also enhance food security, reduce inflationary pressures on staple foods, and boost local economic growth.
However, the success of the initiative will largely depend on transparent management, effective monitoring, and timely disbursement of funds.
Observers will also watch whether community-level engagement and land reforms are genuinely implemented or remain largely symbolic.
Looking Forward
The coming months will be critical as the NDDC begins rolling out the strategy across the Delta region.
Stakeholders, investors, and local communities will monitor how the plan balances oil dependence with agricultural transformation.
The project’s effectiveness could serve as a model for other oil-dependent regions seeking sustainable economic diversification in Nigeria.
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