By Els William
Nigeria’s Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri, has issued a strong call to investors and stakeholders in the oil and gas sector to turn conversations into commitments, declaring that Nigeria is no longer begging for investment, but offering “bankable, de-risked, and sustainable opportunities.”
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 2025 Nigerian Oil and Gas Opportunity Fair (NOGOF), the minister described the forum as more than a fair, calling it “a national platform that fosters catalytic investments.” He stated that the theme of the event — Driving Investment and Production Growth: Shaping a Sustainable Oil and Gas Industry through Indigenous Capacity Development — was both a call to action and a statement of intent.
Lokpobiri emphasized the interconnected goals of the Tinubu administration: increased investment, production growth, and indigenous capacity development. “It is a clear call to action. A call to rethink how we produce, how we partner, and how we build — not just for today’s energy needs, but for Nigeria’s long-term prosperity,” he said.
The Minister noted that reforms under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), combined with recent executive orders, are already reducing bottlenecks, restoring investor confidence, and catalyzing new activity in the sector.
“This is a new era,” he said. “One where Nigeria is not begging for investments, but offering Africa’s most dynamic energy landscape.”
Highlighting the work of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), which he chairs, Lokpobiri said the Board had moved from enforcing compliance to driving innovation and enterprise. He cited achievements such as the expansion of FPSO maintenance, marine vessel construction, and the management of upstream assets by indigenous firms.
He also praised the Nigerian Content Intervention Fund (NCIF) managed with the Bank of Industry, noting that “hundreds of millions of dollars” have been disbursed at single-digit interest rates to local players. The ongoing Project 100 initiative, he added, is designed to groom Nigerian firms into continental and global leaders.
“These gains are measurable, but more importantly, they are scalable,” he said.
According to him, every project presented at NOGOF is real, vetted, and implementation-ready, with multibillion-dollar opportunities across the value chain. He urged financiers and contractors to go beyond networking and commit to real partnerships. “Let this edition of NOGOF spark the MOUs, partnerships, and investment decisions that will shape the narrative of the Nigerian petroleum industry for decades to come,” he said.
Addressing Nigeria’s youth and entrepreneurs, Lokpobiri said the government was expanding mentorship, training, and innovation hubs to support startups, engineers, and female-led businesses. “You are not the future — you are the now,” he declared.
In conclusion, the Minister urged unity and bold decision-making, stating: “Under this administration, we are reimagining the oil and gas sector as a platform for economic justice, national security, and generational wealth. Let NOGOF 2025 be remembered not for speeches, but for action. Not for promises, but for partnerships.”