By Goodness Anenih
The Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Ltd, Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari, has called for stronger alignment of infrastructure, policy frameworks and capital deployment across Africa to secure the continent’s energy future.
Ojulari made the call during a fireside chat with Andy Brown, Deputy Chair of Ørsted and President of the Energy Institute, at the 2026 International Energy Week (IEW) in London.
He identified shared infrastructure, coordinated investment structures and sustained regional diplomacy among National Oil Companies (NOCs) as critical pillars for achieving long-term energy security.
Speaking on cross-border energy expansion, the NNPC boss said ongoing regional gas initiatives demonstrate how shared assets can unlock scale, efficiency and resilience across African markets.
He stressed that projects such as the Nigeria–Morocco Gas Pipeline and the expansion of the West African Gas Pipeline are essential to strengthening regional integration and boosting cross-border energy trade.
Ojulari also advocated harmonised pricing frameworks, transit protocols, local content standards and joint technical regulations to reduce investment bottlenecks and safeguard shared infrastructure.
Drawing from Nigeria’s Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), he said regulatory reforms can help create transparent and predictable investment environments across the continent.
The NNPC GCEO further called for structured joint investment platforms among African NOCs, noting that collective action would enhance Africa’s ability to attract and deploy capital effectively.
On NNPC Ltd’s production targets, Ojulari said the company is pursuing a pragmatic Africa-focused strategy aimed at increasing oil output, scaling gas development and strengthening environmental accountability.
He emphasised that Africa’s pathway must balance responsible production growth, industrialisation through gas, and alignment with global decarbonisation goals, ensuring the continent is not left behind in the global energy transition.