Oritsegbubemi Omatseyin
Lagos — The Federal Government has inaugurated a high-level committee to develop a new strategic plan aimed at repositioning Nigeria’s oil and gas sector in line with the Petroleum Industry Act, PIA 2021, the National Development Plan, NDP 2021–2025, and the Nigeria Agenda 2050.
Speaking at the inauguration in Abuja, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Dr. Emeka Vitalis Obi, said the move is part of efforts to strengthen institutional coordination, ensure accountability, and deliver measurable outcomes across the oil and gas value chain.
Obi explained that upon assumption of duty, he observed the absence of a consolidated and forward-looking sectoral strategic plan that clearly articulates the Ministry’s priorities, performance benchmarks, and accountability frameworks.
He noted that although the oil and gas sector contributes about 6.4 per cent to Nigeria’s GDP and accounts for over 85 per cent of export earnings and 50 per cent of fiscal revenues, it remains challenged by infrastructure decay, declining production, currently averaging around 1.45 million barrels per day against OPEC’s quota of 1.8 million barrels coupled with the pressures of global energy transition.
He hinted that the new Strategic Plan would serve as an operational guide to reposition the Ministry and its agencies for sustainable growth, improved performance, and stronger inter-agency coordination among key stakeholders such as Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPC, Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, NUPRC, Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, NMDPRA, Petroleum Technology Development Fund, PTDF, Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority, NNRA, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, NCDMB, and Petroleum Training Institute, PTI.
According to him, the plan would integrate key reforms under the PIA, define measurable performance indicators in gas monetization, domestic refining, energy transition, and fiscal optimization, while aligning with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda on economic diversification, job creation, and energy access, adding that it would also focus on stabilizing upstream production, expanding midstream infrastructure, promoting transparency in the downstream market, deepening local content and skills development, and entrenching digital governance through data analytics and real-time performance monitoring.
The Permanent Secretary disclosed that the Committee is expected to produce a comprehensive Strategic Plan for 2025–2030, a Petroleum Sector Road Map, and a Monitoring and Evaluation Framework that will guide policy implementation, budgeting, and stakeholder engagement.
Obi urged members to demonstrate patriotism, creativity, and diligence in carrying out their assignment, describing the exercise as a legacy initiative that will strengthen policy implementation and position Nigeria as a competitive player in the global energy space.
“The plan we envision must speak to our realities, leverage our opportunities, and position Nigeria as a competitive player in the evolving global energy landscape,” he said.
The Committee, chaired by Mr. Usman Abdulkadir, Director of Planning, Research and Statistics at the Ministry, comprises representatives from various departments and agencies, including the PTI, NNRA, and NUPRC.
In his remarks, Mr. Usman Abdulkadir, said the initiative was in line with government directives to craft a forward-looking strategic plan that reflects President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s priorities under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
He added that the Committee’s membership was drawn from all agencies and departments of the Ministry to ensure inclusiveness, broad-based expertise, and institutional ownership.
