NNPC demands stronger oartnership in energy sector.
The Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari, has called for stronger collaboration across Nigeria’s energy sector, saying partnerships are critical to unlocking Africa’s huge energy potential and driving investment, industrial growth, and sustainable development.
Ojulari made the call in his keynote address at the opening of the 25th NOG Energy Week held at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja. At the event, he also presented NNPC Ltd’s one-year performance scorecard and outlined the company’s strategic direction for Nigeria’s energy future.
Giving details of the company’s progress, Ojulari said NNPC Ltd achieved an average crude oil recovery rate of 98 per cent across its five export terminals between April 2025 and May 2026. He noted that this was a major improvement from the very low operational levels recorded in the past, including about one per cent at the Bonny Oil and Gas Terminal in June 2022.
He disclosed that Nigeria’s crude oil production has climbed to 1.71 million barrels per day, the highest in five years. NNPC Exploration and Production Limited, NEPL, also recorded its highest output yet at 365,000 barrels per day.
On gas, Ojulari said production rose to 7.5 billion standard cubic feet per day. He attributed the growth to the completion of the River Niger crossing on the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano, AKK, Gas Pipeline and the commissioning of the ANOH Gas Processing Plant.
The GCEO further stated that NNPC Ltd recorded 100 per cent compliance with all Joint Venture cash call obligations from 2025 through June 2026. The company, he added, remains focused on ramping crude production to two million barrels per day.
Highlighting commercial milestones, Ojulari said since the last NOG Energy Week, NNPC Ltd has signed major Gas Sale and Purchase Agreements. These include 1.29 billion standard cubic feet per day for long-term LNG feed gas and 750 million standard cubic feet per day for domestic industrial gas supply to DFL FZE and Dangote Refinery.
“These agreements represent more than US$20 billion in associated investments, with seven additional commercial transactions in the pipeline,” he said.
On transparency and accountability, Ojulari revealed that NNPC Ltd resumed full monthly remittances to the Federation Account in July 2025. The company also reinstated monthly business performance reporting and hosted its first earnings call in November 2025. According to him, these steps are aimed at strengthening investor confidence and reinforcing NNPC’s commitment to open operations.
Ojulari urged industry players to shift from transactional engagements to strategic partnerships. He said the focus should move from isolated projects to integrated value chains, and from exporting raw resources to building competitive industrial economies within Africa.
“At NNPC Limited, we see ourselves not just as an energy producer but as an ecosystem builder connecting capital, technology, policy, talent and markets to create lasting value for Nigeria and Africa,” he stated.
He described the energy sector as one of the most interconnected industries globally, stressing that no single company can unlock Africa’s potential alone.
According to him, fragmented collaboration remains one of the biggest obstacles to Africa’s energy transformation. He pointed to weak linkages between resource owners and operators, investors and projects, innovation and execution, and policy and capital as key constraints.
Despite Africa holding about 17 per cent of global natural gas reserves and possessing large oil and renewable energy resources, Ojulari noted that the continent still receives only a small portion of global energy investments.
He called on governments, national oil companies, investors, regulators, financiers, academia, and service providers to work together to position Africa as a leading hub for energy investment, technology, and value creation.
“The future of African energy will not be determined solely by the resources beneath our soil, but by the quality of the partnerships we forge above it. The opportunity before us is extraordinary. The responsibility is ours. And the time to act is now,” Ojulari said.
Now in its 25th edition, NOG Energy Week is Africa’s leading oil, gas, and energy conference and exhibition. It brings together global energy leaders, policymakers, investors, and innovators to discuss the future of energy, sustainability, and industrial growth in Nigeria and across the continent.
This statement was signed by Andy Odeh, Chief Corporate Communications Officer, NNPC Limited, Abuja, on July 7, 2026.
