Nigeria’s willingness to work with African countries, international partners, and the business sector to provide cleaner, more affordable, inclusive, and secure energy has been reaffirmed by President Bola Tinubu.
At the Ninth Edition of the Nigeria International Energy Summit, which took place at the State House Conference Hall in Abuja on Tuesday, Tinubu made the assurance on behalf of Vice-President Kashim Shettima.
According to him, energy is essential to the modern world because it is the unseen hand that stabilizes economies and maintains societies, as well as the silent architecture of international balance.
The president noted that energy continued to be essential to world peace, prosperity, and stability.
According to him, Nigeria was concentrating on increasing its capacity for renewable energy and leveraging its enormous gas reserves as a transition fuel.
“Energy must ensure futures, stabilize economies, and bring communities together. It needs to power factories, light up households, spur innovation, and increase public, private, and governmental trust.
“To provide energy that is safe, affordable, clean, and inclusive, Nigeria is prepared to work with Africa, international partners, and the private sector,” he said.
In 2023, Tinubu recalled, the energy sector was “constrained by inefficiencies, uncertainty, and prolonged underinvestment,” despite the fact that his administration inherited a promising sector. Without much fanfare, we got to work, knowing full well that if stability is our aim, energy cannot be viewed as merely an economic commodity.
“National security, industrial growth, social inclusion, and regional cooperation are all accelerated by energy,” he said.
Tinubu promised that “building an energy system that delivers reliability, transparency, sustainability, and shared prosperity” was a top priority for his administration.
He said that the Petroleum Industry Act’s complete execution was maintained and strengthened throughout his administration.
In order to guarantee role clarity, transparency, and investor trust, he continued, his administration was bolstering regulatory institutions and solidifying its position as the cornerstone of sector change.
“Nigeria’s upstream activity recorded a historic rebound under our watch,” Tinubu continued. By late 2025, there were 69 rigs, up from 8 in 2021, indicating a resurgence of drilling and exploration.
The industry obtained Final Investment Decisions totaling more than eight billion US dollars, including significant offshore gas projects involving international energy firms.
The oil and gas subsector had a significant increase in foreign direct investment due to improved operating circumstances, fiscal changes, and regulatory clarity.
According to Tinubu, increased security coordination, surveillance, and regulatory enforcement have greatly reduced crude oil theft, which had been a substantial barrier to production and income.
He continued by saying that Nigeria’s production reliability in global markets has improved and operational stability has been restored as a result of the efforts.
The sector’s economics were realigned, market efficiency was increased, and long-term investment appeal was raised by early changes, chief among them the elimination of fuel subsidies and the liberalization of foreign exchange.
“Even though these actions necessitated sacrifice on a national level, they established the groundwork for investor confidence, sustainability, and budgetary resilience.
These reforms are transformative, bringing Nigeria’s energy sector into line with international best practices, according to industry stakeholders and independent experts, he continued.
“To engage constructively, invest confidently, and partner purposefully with Nigeria,” the Nigerian leader pleaded with the attendees.
Adama Barrow, the president of the Gambia, had previously noted that Nigeria’s policies had far-reaching effects.
He claimed that regional solutions and energy security depended on cooperation through strategic partnerships.
Additionally, Teodoro Mbasogo, the president of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, argued that Africa should stop exporting raw commodities and instead concentrate on refining them for the benefit of future generations.
