Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — Nigeria’s drive to pull in new foreign capital into its oil and gas industry received a major boost as the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, hosted top executives of Italian energy players, LUDOIL Energy and AMMAT Global Resources SAU, who expressed strong interest in investing across the country’s hydrocarbon value chain.
Speaking during the meeting, the Minister said Nigeria’s ongoing reforms and pro-investor policies are already yielding the desired outcome, noting that the country remains committed to creating a profitable, predictable, and transparent operating environment for global energy firms.
“Making our oil sector attractive to investors is a major measure in our ongoing transformation journey, and it is encouraging to see this effort yielding the anticipated results because our commitment to providing a conducive and profitable environment remains sacrosanct,” Lokpobiri said.
The visiting delegation was led by the Chairmen of the two companies, Mr. Donato Ammaturo of LUDOIL Energy and Mr. Luigi Ammaturo of AMMAT Global Resources SAU.
Both executives, whose businesses span the upstream, midstream, and downstream segments across several countries, said they were in Nigeria to explore potential areas of partnership.
According to Lokpobiri, the interest shown by the Italian groups reflects rising investor confidence triggered by reforms under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“As companies with an expanding international presence across the upstream, midstream, and downstream sectors, they will find our reforms supportive of efficient, transparent, and profitable operations,” he assured.
The minister emphasized that Nigeria is ready to work with all credible foreign and local investors whose operations align with the country’s long-term energy development goals.
“I assured them of our readiness, as a country, to partner with them and indeed all other genuine prospective investors committed to contributing meaningfully to the growth of our energy landscape. Our doors remain open to collaboration that drives progress, innovation, and sustainable development,” he said.
The visit comes as Nigeria accelerates its push to boost crude oil production, attract greenfield investments, and expand midstream and downstream infrastructure under sweeping policy reforms expected to reposition the sector for global competitiveness.
