The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) has renewed calls for international investors to take advantage of the country’s vast energy opportunities, declaring Nigeria as Africa’s new frontier for energy investment.
Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Ltd, Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari, made the appeal during a conversation with NBC’s Hala Gorani at the Energy Talk segment of the ongoing Gastech Exhibition and Conference in Milan, Italy.
Ojulari praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for reforms that have strengthened Nigeria’s investment climate, noting that these measures have repositioned the country as the continent’s preferred destination for capital inflows. He assured that the new NNPC management is committed to delivering sustainable value to shareholders while driving Nigeria’s broader energy development agenda.
According to him, while investors are already venturing into gas-based industries such as petrochemicals and methanol plants, greater foreign participation is required to expand infrastructure for the Federal Government’s Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) initiative, which aims to power Nigeria’s transportation sector with cleaner, cheaper fuels.
Ojulari also pointed to untapped potential in Nigeria’s crude oil sector, revealing that the country has over 200 undeveloped oil fields with capacity to boost production beyond the current 1.7 million barrels per day.
On efforts to attract and retain global financiers, he disclosed that NNPC is investing in carbon capture projects, energy efficiency technologies, and gas flare reduction, aligning operations with international sustainability benchmarks and financing requirements.
The NNPC boss highlighted key strategic projects advancing towards completion, including the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) gas pipeline and the multi-billion-dollar Nigeria LNG Train 7 project, which are expected to significantly strengthen Nigeria’s role in global energy supply chains.
“Nigeria’s energy transition strategy is anchored on eradicating energy poverty across Africa,” Ojulari said. “This will be achieved through expanded gas use for industrialization and greater access to Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) as cooking fuel for millions of households currently without clean energy.”
The 2025 Gastech Conference, hosting over 50,000 professionals and 1,000 exhibitors from 150 countries, is one of the world’s largest gatherings of energy leaders. It provides a platform for deliberations on the future of gas, climate solutions, and global energy transformation.
Ojulari’s remarks come as Nigeria intensifies efforts to attract foreign investment, build critical energy infrastructure, and reinforce its standing as a reliable energy supplier to domestic and international markets.
