Nigeria's gas sales have always been an export-first story, but that chapter is quietly closing. In 2021, exports accounted for 66% of all gas sales, while domestic sales accounted for just 34%, a 32-point gap that made the domestic market look almost irrelevant.
By 2023, that gap had already halved, and by 2025 it stood at just ten percentage points. The most telling moment was 2023, when domestic share jumped seven points in a single year, the same period Nigeria's Electricity Act was passed, and gas-to-power momentum accelerated. The export share has not recovered a single percentage point since 2021.
The United States dominates global natural gas production in 2024, contributing 1.03 trillion cubic metres (Tcm), nearly one-quarter of the world’s total.
Russia (0.63Tcm) and Iran (0.26Tcm) follow as the second and third largest producers.
China (0.25Tcm) and Canada (0.19Tcm) also feature strongly, rounding out the top five producers.
Collectively, these top five countries account for more than 50% of global production.
Emerging producers like Nigeria, Egypt, and Azerbaijan contribute significantly to the supply but remain far behind the leading nations.
