AN expert in the gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) sectors, Lolade Olamide, has urged policymakers to leverage the Nigeria’s vast natural gas resources to drive sustainable industrialisation and community development.

He stated this while presenting a paper during the Nigerian Society of Engineers conference in Glasgow, Scotland titled, “Avoiding the Crude Oil Trap: Using LNG Governance to Build Community and Industrial Opportunity in Lower Southern Nigeria.”

In a statement released on at the weekend, the Principal Engineer at a major United States LNG facility noted that despite possessing over 200 trillion cubic feet of proven natural gas reserves, Nigeria’s LNG capacity remains at about 22 million tonnes annually.

He attributed this disparity to governance gaps rather than resource scarcity.

Olamide stated that “Resource wealth creates opportunity; governance determines outcomes.”

He further warned against repeating the mistakes of the crude oil era, where decades of extraction generated massive revenue but failed to deliver equitable industrial opportunities to producing communities.

To ensure sustainable community development, the engineer advocated a shift from treating host communities merely as beneficiaries of corporate social responsibility to engaging them in structured economic partnerships.

He proposed transparent compensation, technical training, and community development trusts to ensure locals participate in the economic value generated.

Furthermore, Olamide tasked policymakers with creating an interconnected industrial corridor across Lower Southern Nigeria stretching from Calabar and Akwa Ibom, through Port Harcourt and Warri, to the Lagos-Ogun industrial belt.

He explained that integrating power generation, petrochemicals, fertiliser production, and manufacturing would transform LNG facilities into anchors for regional trade and skilled employment.

Emphasising the need for policy continuity, he recommended a minimum 10 year governance framework, noting that capital intensive projects like seaports and industrial parks cannot mature within standard four-year political cycles.

Unveiling his Vision 2040, Olamide projected expanding Nigeria’s LNG capacity to 80 million tonnes annually.

He urged the government to make governance and industrial linkages central to the next phase of gas development, ensuring the sector provides lasting economic opportunities for industries, workers, and host communities.