Lokpobiri, Ekpo, Adelabu, Kyari Lead Discussion on Nigeria’s Energy Challenges at NAEC Conference

Peter Uzoho

As Nigeria struggles with low investment and other teething challenges in its energy sector, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri; his counterpart in Gas, Ekperikpe Ekpo; and the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu would lead industry stakeholders in a solution-finding discussion at the 2024 NAEC Annual Strategic International Conference.

The conference being organised by the Association of Energy Correspondents of Nigeria (NAEC) would hold in Lagos on Thursday next week, with the theme, “Gas As Energy Transition Fuel: Navigating Nigeria’s Trilemma of Finance, Energy Security, and International Politics.”

In a statement issued yesterday, signed by the National Chairman of NAEC, Mr. Ugo Amadi, the association described the conference as a flagship event of the body that brings together stakeholders in the Nigerian energy sector including operators, policymakers, local and international investors, service providers and analysts to discuss critical developments in the oil and gas, power, and renewable energy sectors, to identify and celebrate key successes, highlighting the challenges and proffering viable solutions for future growth.

While the three energy ministers would deliver special ministerial addresses at the one-day event, the statement noted that the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mallam Mele Kyari will present the industry keynote address to set the tone for discussions.

More so, NAEC revealed that other industry bigwigs that would be speaking at the occasion included the Chief Executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Mr. Gbenga Komolafe; Executive Secretary, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Mr. Felix Ogbe; Chief Executive, Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Mr. Farouk Ahmed; and the Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), Dr Orji Ogbonnaya Orji.

The association added that the conference would be chaired by the Group Managing Director of Rainoil Limited, Dr. Gabriel Ogbechie, whose company has become a dominant player in the Nigerian oil and gas downstream space.

It explained that the choice of the theme of this year’s conference was underpinned by the growing need to secure a sustainable, cleaner and affordable energy for Nigeria’s current and future generation by leveraging the country’s abundant natural gas resources yet to be unlocked and harnessed.

“Just like the previous editions, this year’s conference will feature keynote addresses by top government officials, special industry presentations, and goodwill messages from chief executives of oil majors, independent producers, downstream operators and power industry players amongst others,” it added.

The statement further disclosed that some of the special presentations at the conference would be delivered by the Coordinator of the Decade of Gas Initiative, Mr. Ed Ubong; Vice President, Oil and Gas, Dangote Industries Limited, Devakumar Edwin; Managing Director, Nigeria LNG Limited, Dr Philip Mshelbila; and Chief Executive Officer of Pinnacle Oil & Gas Limited, Mr. Robert Dickerman, amongst others.