TotalEnergies’ Pouyanné Storms Abuja for Crisis Management

Diplomacy is still the heart of relations, whether it is at the individual or corporate level. Recognising this, the top echelons at TotalEnergies have been doing their best to reassure Nigeria that they are committed to maintaining relations. Therefore, there is no reason to let any type of crisis or conflict affect the partnership.

The Group Chairman and CEO of TotalEnergies, Patrick Pouyanné, has continued to demonstrate his and his business’ commitment to Nigeria. Despite being a bigshot and the authority over the French group of companies, Pouyanné raced to Abuja a few days ago to display his goodwill and desire for a continuing harmony between Nigeria and TotalEnergies.

Pouyanné was well-received by President Bola Tinubu and their exchanges were cordial. Both parties approached the alliance from an assuring standpoint, almost competing to persuade the other that their offerings were enough to guarantee the other party’s objectives. This approach satisfied both parties, especially due to the issues that have emerged due to the Egina offshore field.

TotalEnergies has faced several issues in the last quarter of 2023, especially. The loudest of these was the 3,000-barrel spill in November. Moreover, due to Tinubu’s advance notice to the new board of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) in which he informed them of the implications of non-performance, Pouyanné had to walk on eggshells.

Nigerians in the diaspora may look down on the country, but multinationals like TotalEnergies recognize the value of befriending it. According to reports, Pouyanné and the other decision-makers at the French company intend to invest around $6 billion across multiple projects. TotalEnergies is only the most outspoken among these businesses, not the only one intending to put so much into Nigeria.

This is the reason someone as high and mighty as Pouyanné had to rush to Abuja to assure President Tinubu of TotalEnergies’ dedication to strengthening the partnership with Nigeria. With such partnerships, Nigeria will rise.