Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — Nigeria’s energy leadership made a strong case for global investment at CERAWeek 2026, with top executives from NNPC Limited highlighting improved fundamentals, regulatory certainty, and execution discipline as key drivers of renewed investor confidence.
Group Chief Executive Officer, Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari, delivered a clear message to global investors: Nigeria’s value proposition is established, and the focus has shifted to delivery.
“Capital goes where value is clear, and Nigeria has that value,” Ojulari said, stressing that the country is leveraging policy stability, infrastructure improvements, and strategic partnerships to attract long-term capital.
He outlined a pragmatic energy strategy, balancing immediate revenue needs with long-term transition goals.
“We are not choosing between today and tomorrow; we are funding the future with the present,” he stated, describing a portfolio approach where oil sustains value, gas drives industrialisation, and transition investments remain targeted.
Ojulari emphasized that Nigeria’s over 600 trillion cubic feet of gas reserves position the country as a key player in global energy security, adding that execution is now the defining factor.
Key priorities, according to him, include commercial pricing, infrastructure delivery such as the AKK pipeline, and bankable contracts.
He also underscored the importance of partnerships in unlocking deepwater assets, noting that global players like Shell and Eni bring technology, capital, and execution discipline.
“When the fundamentals are right, partnerships scale naturally,” he added.
Data, Infrastructure Driving Competitiveness – Ntia
In a separate high-level session, Executive Vice President, Upstream, NNPC Limited, Udy Ntia, highlighted how data ecosystems, infrastructure readiness, and advanced analytics are redefining competition among global hydrocarbon basins.
“Nigeria’s growing attractiveness as a prime destination for global energy investment is driven by strengthened fiscal stability, regulatory predictability, and a commercially driven governance framework,” Ntia said.
He noted that the convergence of data, infrastructure, and analytics is creating a new competitive edge for proven basins, positioning Nigeria to fully capitalise on its extensive resource base.
The session, moderated by Beth Evans of S&P Global, featured global industry leaders including executives from BP and Baker Hughes, underscoring Nigeria’s relevance in global upstream discussions.
Execution, Monetisation Take Centre Stage
Both executives reinforced a broader strategic shift from resource ownership to resource monetisation, with Nigeria now prioritising efficient project execution, infrastructure expansion and security, investor-friendly fiscal and regulatory frameworks, and technology-driven upstream optimisation
Ojulari reiterated that the Petroleum Industry Act, PIA, has laid a solid foundation for regulatory certainty, while government-backed reforms are improving the ease of doing business.
“Nigeria is the reliable destination for energy investment the world needs,” he said.
