At the 2026 Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC), Nigeria’s Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, called for stronger international partnerships and greater investment to unlock the country’s petroleum potential and support energy security, industrialisation and economic growth.
Speaking at the Ministerial Leadership Roundtable, Lokpobiri said Nigeria remains committed to strategic global partnerships, stressing that sustained investment, advanced technology and international expertise are essential to develop its vast petroleum reserves. He assured investors, technology providers and financial institutions that the government is ready to create an enabling environment for mutually beneficial collaborations in the oil and gas sector.
“Nigeria’s commitment to collaboration and strategic partnerships remains sacrosanct. We recognise that developing our petroleum resources and translating our reserves into economic prosperity require sustained investment, technology, expertise and mutually beneficial partnerships. We will therefore continue to drive investment into the sector,” Lokpobiri said.
The minister highlighted that stronger international cooperation is increasingly important for addressing emerging challenges in the global energy landscape, mitigating supply disruptions and averting wider energy and economic crises. He outlined Nigeria’s plan to accelerate industrialisation through higher crude‑oil output, expansion of domestic refining capacity, development of petrochemicals, commercialisation of gas and broader infrastructure projects.
Lokpobiri pointed to Nigeria’s geographical advantage, substantial petroleum reserves and strategic location along the Gulf of Guinea as opportunities to enhance the nation’s role in regional petroleum supply, energy trade and industrial development. He said the federal government’s ultimate objective is to transform these resources into reliable energy, industrial competitiveness, job creation and sustainable economic growth, with sustained investment, technology transfer and mutually beneficial partnerships at the core of that vision.
<small>Source: The Sun Nigeria — read the original story there.</small>
