By Bassey Udo
Shared infrastructure, policy alignment, coordinated investment frameworks, cross-border knowledge and technology exchange, integrated gas market development, and sustained regional diplomacy among National Oil Companies (NOCs) are the key pillars for securing Africa’s energy future, the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd), Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari, has said.
Ojulari spoke during a fireside chat with the Deputy Chair of Ørsted and President of the Energy Institute, Mr. Andy Brown, at the 2026 International Energy Week (IEW) in London, on Wednesday.
Addressing the imperative of expanding cross-border energy infrastructure, Ojulari said NNPC Ltd’s ongoing regional gas infrastructure initiatives demonstrate how shared assets could unlock scale, efficiency, and resilience.
He emphasised the accelerated delivery of flagship projects such as the Nigeria–Morocco Gas Pipeline and the expansion of the West African Gas Pipeline as critical to strengthening regional integration and advancing cross-border energy trade.
Africa, he pointed out, must move towards aligning pricing frameworks, transit protocols, local content standards, and joint technical regulations, drawing lessons from reforms, such as Nigeria’s Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), to reduce investment friction, safeguard cross-border infrastructure, and ensure equitable access to shared energy assets.
Also, he called for structured joint investment platforms among African NOCs, stressing that Africa could attract and deploy capital more effectively when acting collectively, rather than individually.
On NNPC Ltd’s ambition to raise its crude oil output, expand gas production, and attract investment, Ojulari said delivery would require a pragmatic, Africa-centric strategy —one that positions energy as both a catalyst for economic development and a contributor to global climate goals.
“Our pathway is clear: grow production responsibly, scale gas as the backbone of Africa’s industrialisation, strengthen environmental accountability, and align with global decarbonisation objectives —while ensuring that Africans are not left behind in the energy transition,” he explained.
The International Energy Week (IEW) is a premier global energy leadership platform that convenes policymakers, industry executives, investors, regulators, technology innovators, and thought leaders to shape dialogue on the future of energy security, transition pathways, capital formation, and sustainability.
