Theoretical Framework for Evaluating the Energy Justice Implications of Natural Gas Distribution Policy in Northern Nigeria

Energy justice as a theoretical construct offers a powerful analytical lens for evaluating the equity dimensions of energy policy, yet its application to natural gas distribution policy in the context of Nigeria's regional development disparities has not been theoretically developed or empirically tested. This study develops and applies an original theoretical framework for evaluating the energy justice implications of natural gas distribution policy in northern Nigeria, integrating tenets recognition justice, distributional justice, and procedural justice as applied to gas infrastructure access across the North West, North Central, and North East geopolitical zones. The framework draws on Rawlsian distributive justice theory, Sen's capabilities approach, and Walker and Bulkeley's energy justice framework to construct a multi-dimensional gas access equity index applicable to the Nigerian context. The empirical research programme collects primary data through household surveys in Kano, Maiduguri, and Lafia on energy access, expenditure burdens, and perceptions of consultation in energy infrastructure decisions, supplemented by spatial analysis of gas infrastructure distribution relative to population centres. The theoretical framework's original contribution is the conceptualisation of a gas infrastructure justice gap (GIJG) metric that integrates physical access, affordability, cultural acceptability, and procedural participation into a single composite measure, enabling inter-regional comparison and policy evaluation. Empirical findings demonstrate that the North East zone exhibits the highest GIJG scores nationally, driven by near-zero physical infrastructure access and the highest proportional household energy expenditure burdens. The framework further reveals that procedural justice failures in gas sector policy design perpetuate distributive injustices by excluding northern voices from priority-setting processes. Recommendations include mandatory energy justice impact assessments for new gas infrastructure policies and guaranteed northern representation on national gas sector regulatory bodies. Keywords: energy justice, gas distribution, northern Nigeria, equity, distributional justice.