CERAWeek: NNPC Ltd Woos Global Investors

…Says Robust Regulatory Reforms Have Transformed Nigeria into
Investors’ Haven

CHIGOZIE AMADI

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) has called
on global investors to direct their attention to the Nigerian oil and gas
sector as the nation is now an investors’ haven owing to the robust
regulatory reforms and the investment-friendly policies of the President
Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration.

The Executive Vice President, Upstream, Mr. Udy Ntia, made the call on
Tuesday during a session with investors at the 2025 CERAWeek by S&P
Global in Houston, Texas, United States

Speaking on the theme: “Spotlight: Attracting Investment for Oil and Gas”,
Ntia emphasized that Nigeria was well-positioned as a safe and attractive
destination for investment as the nation is currently expanding its oil and
gas industry to meet rising global energy demand driven by geopolitical
tensions and the energy policies of the US administration.

“For us in Nigeria, despite global energy security concerns, including those
in Europe, we see significant opportunities. We have strategically
positioned our assets to leverage the current strong price environment,
which has remained favourable over the past two to three years. As a
result, we anticipate substantial investment inflows into the sector,” he
stated.
The EVP listed some of the areas with huge investment opportunities in
the country to include the refining and gas sub-sectors, stressing that
Nigeria was keen on expanding it refining capacity to reduce dependency
on imports, even as it is also interested in tapping into the nation’s vast gas
reserves of about 207trillion cubic feet (TCF) to drive industrialisation and
economic growth.
“Gas will play a critical role in Nigeria’s energy future. We are expanding
our gas infrastructure in collaboration with partners such as Shell, ENI, and
Total. Our LNG Train 7 project is advancing, and we are investing in
domestic pipeline networks to meet local energy demands,” he explained.

Ntia also disclosed that the Petroleum Industry Act 2021 and the series of
Executive Orders signed by President Tinubu in 2023 have significantly
liberalized the regulatory framework, offering incentives for cost recovery,
royalty payments, and profit-sharing mechanisms, adding that Nigeria
recorded $16 billion to $17 billion in foreign investment inflows in 2024
following the implementation of these regulatory reforms.

He encouraged foreign investors, particularly from China and India, to
explore the investment opportunities in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, citing
the country’s large crude oil reserves (over 37 billion barrels) and flexible
investment models, including joint ventures and production-sharing
contracts.
“Nigeria offers a stable democracy, improved security, and a businessfriendly regulatory framework. We welcome investors from China, India,
and beyond to partner with us in unlocking the vast potential of Nigeria’s
oil and gas sector,” Ntia concluded.

The session featured global industry leaders such as the Deputy DirectorGeneral, Planning, China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), Pinxian
Zhang; Managing Director of ONGC Videsh Ltd (OVL), Rajarshi Gupta; and
Chairman of Libya’s National Oil Corporation, Masoud Mahmoud.

CERAWeek is one of the largest energy conferences in the world, drawing
thousands of foremost global energy industry experts and a host of other
corporate and government leaders from around the world annually to
Houston, United States, for a week-long conversation on the future of
energy.