Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPC Ltd, has declared that the long-awaited re-entry into Ogoniland is more than an oil production milestone.
According to the state-owned oil company, the planed resumption of oil production in Ogoni is a powerful signal to the global investment community that Nigeria is serious about combining energy development with justice, reconciliation, and sustainable progress.
Speaking at the presentation of the Ogoni Consultations Report at the State House, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu described the development as a beacon of renewed hope that validates the sacrifices of host communities and underscores the administration’s determination to drive inclusive growth.
“We are not, as a government, taking lightly the years of pain endured in Ogoniland. We recognise that, otherwise we would not be here today. We declare with conviction that hope is here and is back with us,” Tinubu affirmed.
Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Ltd, Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari, stressed that the re-entry stands as a testament to Nigeria’s ability to attract responsible investments and assure international partners that stability and fairness are now central to oil and gas operations.
“The re-entry into Ogoniland is not just about oil and gas. It is about justice, healing, and charting a new future for our nation. The lesson is that this journey cannot be driven solely by production volumes. It must be anchored on justice, equity, sustainability, and collaboration with the very people whose land bears this wealth,” Ojulari stated.
He noted that the process, achieved under the coordination of the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, and the Presidential Committee chaired by Professor Don Baridam, represents a model of conflict resolution and transparent engagement that foreign investors have long sought as a precondition for large-scale energy commitments.
Ojulari revealed that NNPC Ltd has already initiated projects in road construction, infrastructure upgrades, and economic empowerment programmes across Ogoniland, designed to rebuild trust and show accountability.
“NNPC Ltd is determined to transform Ogoniland from a symbol of conflict into a beacon of reconciliation, renewal, and sustainable progress,” he added.
National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, backed this position, describing the consultations as proof that long-standing disputes can be resolved through methodical and transparent dialogue.
“This report is the outcome of an intensive engagement that prioritised inclusivity and fairness,” Ribadu said.
For Professor Don Baridam, the process was as important as the outcome. “Through diplomacy and relentless insistence on dialogue, host community trust was earned and hope restored,” he told the gathering.
By putting community benefit at the centre, NNPC Ltd and the Tinubu administration are betting that Nigeria’s oil and gas sector can regain investor confidence while rewriting the global playbook on responsible energy development.
