Economic Assessment of the Decade of Gas Initiative and the Petroleum Industry Act in Nigeria's Natural Gas Sector

This research examines the impact of Nigeria's Decade of Gas initiative and the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) on the country's natural gas industry and its progress toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, we examine how these policies affect energy accessibility, economic development, and social welfare. Our quantitative analysis, based on a survey of 500 participants, reveals a notable positive correlation between access to natural gas and household economic outcomes, with 62–75% of participants reporting improvements in their income, business efficiency, and access to cooking gas. Insights from qualitative interviews and focus groups further illustrate that the use of gas has empowered women and increased the productivity of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by lowering operational expenses. However, our findings also emphasise substantial implementation challenges, particularly the ongoing infrastructure deficiencies and regional inequalities that disproportionately impact rural and neglected communities. The study concludes that while policies regarding natural gas hold the potential to foster sustainable development and support Nigeria’s poverty alleviation efforts, their full impact can only be achieved through fair and inclusive implementation that addresses infrastructural hurdles and guarantees widespread access across all regions.