Tanya Davidson
Abuja — Nigeria is seeking to leverage its strategic position on the Gulf of Guinea to attract European energy investment and strengthen access to global energy markets, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, has said.
Lokpobiri stated this after engaging the Deputy Head of Mission of the German Embassy in Abuja, Johannes Lehme, who visited alongside GIZ Nigeria & ECOWAS Cluster Coordinator and Head of Programme, Jochen Rudolph, and GIZ’s Obinna Osuji.
The minister said Nigeria’s geographical position provides an opportunity to serve as a gateway between Europe and the Gulf of Guinea’s energy resources.
According to him, Nigeria would continue to pursue partnerships where the interests of Nigerians are protected while leveraging the country’s resources to expand investment and economic opportunities in the global energy market.
“We will keep leveraging advantageous positions and resources in advancing our investment growth in the global energy market, partnering where the interests of Nigerians are protected and sustained,” Lokpobiri said.
He described Nigeria as a competitive destination for energy investment and said the country was open to partnerships capable of generating mutual value.
Such partnerships, he said, should strengthen local capacity, facilitate technology and knowledge transfer, and support sustainable economic development.
“ As a competitive energy investment destination, Nigeria remains open to partnerships that create mutual value, strengthen local capacity, facilitate technology and knowledge transfer, and advance sustainable economic development,” he said.
The engagement with German officials and GIZ representatives underscores Nigeria’s interest in deepening international cooperation around the energy sector, particularly where foreign investment can be linked to domestic capacity development and technology transfer.
