The Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari, has called for deeper and more strategic collaboration across Nigeria’s energy ecosystem, stressing that partnerships are critical to unlocking Africa’s vast energy potential and driving sustainable economic growth.
Ojulari made this call during his keynote address at the opening ceremony of the 25th NOG Energy Week held at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja, where he also presented a comprehensive scorecard of NNPC Ltd’s performance over the past year.
Highlighting key operational milestones, Ojulari disclosed that NNPC Ltd achieved an average 98 per cent recovery rate across its five crude oil export terminals between April 2025 and May 2026. This marks a significant turnaround from the operational low of about one per cent recorded at the Bonny Oil and Gas Terminal in June 2022.
He further revealed that Nigeria’s crude oil production has climbed to 1.71 million barrels per day—its highest level in five years—while NNPC Exploration and Production Limited (NEPL) posted a record output of 365,000 barrels per day.
On gas development, Ojulari noted that production rose to 7.5 billion standard cubic feet per day, driven by major infrastructure milestones including the successful River Niger crossing on the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) Gas Pipeline and the commissioning of the ANOH Gas Processing Plant.
He added that NNPC Ltd maintained full compliance with Joint Venture cash call obligations throughout 2025 and up to June 2026, while sustaining its strategic push towards achieving a production target of two million barrels per day.
In a significant boost to Nigeria’s gas commercialisation drive, the company has signed major Gas Sale and Purchase Agreements (GSPAs) covering 1.29 billion standard cubic feet per day for long-term LNG feedstock, alongside 750 million standard cubic feet per day for domestic industrial supply to key players including DFL FZE and Dangote Refinery.
According to Ojulari, these agreements represent over $20 billion in associated investments, with seven additional transactions currently in the pipeline.
On corporate governance and transparency, the GCEO disclosed that NNPC Ltd resumed full monthly remittances to the Federation Account in July 2025, reinstated regular business performance reporting, and hosted its first-ever earnings call in November 2025—moves aimed at strengthening accountability and boosting investor confidence.
He, however, warned that fragmented collaboration remains a major obstacle to Africa’s energy transformation, citing weak linkages between stakeholders—ranging from resource owners and operators to investors, policymakers, and innovators.
Despite holding approximately 17 per cent of global natural gas reserves, alongside abundant oil and renewable resources, Africa continues to attract only a marginal share of global energy investments.
Ojulari urged governments, national oil companies, investors, regulators, financiers, academia, and service providers to move beyond transactional engagements and embrace integrated, long-term partnerships.
“We must shift from isolated projects to connected value chains, from exporting raw resources to building globally competitive industrial economies,” he said.
“At NNPC Limited, we are positioning ourselves not just as an energy producer, but as an ecosystem builder—linking capital, technology, policy, talent, and markets to create enduring value for Nigeria and Africa.”
He emphasised that the future of Africa’s energy sector will depend not only on its natural resources but on the strength and quality of partnerships forged across the value chain.
“The opportunity before us is extraordinary. The responsibility is ours. And the time to act is now,” Ojulari declared.
Now in its 25th year, NOG Energy Week remains Africa’s flagship oil, gas, and energy conference, bringing together global industry leaders, policymakers, investors, and innovators to shape conversations around sustainability, energy transition, and industrial development.