Ojulari pushes R&D as cornerstone of Africa’s energy future
CHIGOZIE AMADI
Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited has restated it commitment to innovation in the Nigerian petroleum industry operations as part of the prevailing strategy to meet government’s gross economic aspirations of the Nigerian economy.
The economic targets for the industry include building hydrocarbon liquid reserves to over 40 billion barrels, growing production to 4.0 million barrels per day (mbd), positioning natural gas as equal revenue earner with oil, diversifying internal energy sources and using huge petroleum industry operating budget to spur domestic industrial growth.
Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Limited, Bashir Bayo Ojulari, declared on Thursday that research and development (R&D) must remain at the heart of Africa’s energy strategy.
Ojulari whose remarks were delivered the company’s Chief Financial Officer, Adedapo Segun, said R&D centers across the continent should evolve into engines of industrial growth.
He emphasized that collaboration in innovation is no longer optional but essential for long-term sustainability.
While acknowledging that innovation can be costly, he warned that the cost of failing to innovate would be far greater for Africa’s energy future.
Ojulari also called for a unified continental framework that would allow countries to pool resources, share risks, and integrate data systems. He urged stakeholders to accelerate the adoption of digital technologies, artificial intelligence, and advanced engineering solutions to improve efficiency across upstream, midstream, and downstream operations.
Earlier, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, described the R&D Forum as part of a broader four-point strategy developed by the African Petroleum Producers’ Organization to address challenges linked to the global energy transition.
According to him, the forum is designed to bridge gaps in technology and expertise, while the proposed African Energy Bank will tackle financing constraints. He added that the Central African Pipeline System aims to strengthen regional integration across oil and gas markets on the continent.
In his remarks, the Secretary General of APPO, Farid Ghezali, urged oil-producing nations to focus on research outcomes that directly address Africa’s unique challenges. He stressed the need for innovation to deliver practical, scalable solutions for the petroleum sector.
Also speaking, the Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund, Shu’aibu Shehu Aliyu, highlighted the importance of collaboration between NNPC Limited and PTDF.
He said the partnership is critical to advancing decarbonization efforts and promoting environmental sustainability across APPO member states.
The R&D forum targets artificial intelligence, popularly called AI, upstream efficiency, and industrial growth.
Meanwhile, the Chief Innovation Officer of NNPC Research, Technology and Innovation, and incoming Chairman of the APPO R&D Directors Forum, Rasheed Ojulari, outlined the forum’s immediate priorities.
He said joint programs would focus on upstream optimization, deployment of artificial intelligence, decarbonization processes, and the development of industrial systems aimed at strengthening Africa’s energy sector.
