Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — In a renewed vote of confidence in Nigeria’s energy sector, international oil giants Shell and Chevron have pledged fresh multi-billion-dollar investments, following high-level meetings with Nigeria’s Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri.
Lokpobiri, who met separately with top executives of Shell Nigeria and Chevron Nigeria Limited, said the commitments underscore the international oil companies’ confidence in the reforms and direction of Nigeria’s oil and gas industry under the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
“These engagements reaffirm the government’s dedication to fostering a stable and attractive environment for long-term energy partnerships,” the Minister stated.
During a courtesy visit by Shell, the outgoing Managing Director of SCiN, Mr. Osagie Okunbor, introduced his successor, Mr. Marno de Jong, who currently serves as Shell Vice President for Africa.
The Shell team highlighted their continued faith in Nigeria, revealing investment projections “running into billions of dollars.”
“This demonstrates Shell’s sustained commitment to Nigeria’s energy sector and its strategic importance to their global operations,” Lokpobiri noted.
In a separate meeting, the Minister hosted Mr. Clay Neff, President of Chevron International Exploration and Production, and Mr. Jim Swartz, Chairman and Managing Director of Chevron’s Nigeria/Mid-Africa Business Unit.
Lokpobiri used the occasion to restate Nigeria’s openness to deeper collaboration in the oil and gas sector, especially in offshore developments.
“I reiterated President Tinubu’s commitment to positioning our oil industry as a globally competitive destination. I encouraged Chevron to scale up its investments, particularly in the deepwater segment,” the Minister tweeted on X.
Both Shell and Chevron reportedly expressed enthusiasm about Nigeria’s evolving policy landscape, citing the administration’s focus on transparency, investor confidence, and infrastructure development.
The meetings mark a continuation of the government’s high-level industry engagements aimed at restoring Nigeria’s production capacity, enhancing reserves growth, and attracting capital into the upstream and midstream sectors.
