Chief Group General Manager of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited Bayo Ojulari on Tuesday declared that Nigeria was shifting from energy promises to execution, fast positioning itself as a dependable destination for global investment amid the world’s energy transition.
Ojulari, stated this when he delivered a message at CERAWeek 2026 in Houston, United States – the influential energy conference organized by S&P Global.
Speaking to executives, policymakers and industry leaders, the NNPCL Chief emphasized Nigeria’s stable policies, improving infrastructure and government backing as draws for capital.
“We are not choosing between today and tomorrow; we are funding the future with the present,” he said during a session on energy, technology and geopolitics.
This was contained in a statement issued by the NNPC Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Andy Odeh, a copy of which was obtained by our correspondent.
He said that President Bola Tinubu has granted NNPC autonomy to pursue sustainable, commercially viable strategies on behalf of the federal government.
The move aims to boost energy security and attract long-term investment.
Nigeria’s vast reserves — including more than 600 trillion cubic feet of natural gas — remain central to its pitch. Oil will sustain revenues and foreign exchange, Ojulari said, while gas fuels industrialization.
He stressed deepwater projects like OPL 245, which offer scale and lower security risks than onshore operations, and partnerships with majors like Shell and Eni.
“Capital goes where value is clear, and Nigeria has that value,” he told a fireside chat moderated by Dan Pratt of S&P Global.
Ojulari highlighted the “Decade of Gas” initiative, now focused on execution through commercial pricing, infrastructure like the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano pipeline, and firm contracts. Nigeria will balance domestic needs with liquefied natural gas exports based on maximum value, he added.
The Petroleum Industry Act has enhanced regulatory certainty, he noted, alongside investments in security and infrastructure to tackle chronic bottlenecks.
Ojulari assurances comes as Nigeria ramps up production and courts foreign capital in a competitive landscape.
CERAWeek, drawing over 10,000 attendees through Saturday, reflects the tensions between hydrocarbons and cleaner energy — tensions, which Ojulari described as pragmatic necessities for Africa’s economic realities.
For Nigeria, the message marks a pivot: proving performance to secure its role in the global energy order.
