*Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari, Group CEO of NNPC Limited, advocates increased global energy investments through strategic partnerships and integrated value chains on the African continent for ‘shared prosperity’ of the peoples
Gbenga Kayode | ConsumerConnect
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPCL) Limited has said Africa and Nigeria, in particular should attract a substantial share of the global energy investments for shared prosperity of the peoples.
ConsumerConnect reports Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari, Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO), NNPC Limited, stated this Wednesday, July 8, 2026, in his presentation at this year’s NOG Energy Week Summit, held in Abuja, FCT.
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Engr. Ojulari said at NNPCL, the state oil company no longer sees itself as just an energy producer, but an ecosystem builder that connects capital, technology, policy, talent, and markets towards turning energy and mineral resources into shared prosperity for Nigerian consumers.
Going down the memory lane in regard to the core mandate of his leadership, the GCEO of NNPCL said: “A year ago, at NOG 2025, I spoke about transforming NNPC into a transparent, high-performing energy company.
“Today, I remain convinced that those principles are still imperative for sustainable energy prosperity.”
In a statement via his verified X account Wednesday, July 8, 2026, Ojulari also emphasised that as important as these principles are, the past year has reinforced another, equally important truth.
He asserted: “No nation or company can unlock the full value of its energy resources in isolation.”
According to him, recent geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and disruptions to shipping routes have proved that energy security could not be taken for granted.
He further noted that winners of the next era would be those with the largest reserves, but those who build the most effective partnerships.
Ojulari said: “Africa’s challenge is not a shortage of hydrocarbons, talent, or opportunity — it is the persistent fragmentation of the ecosystem required to convert resources into prosperity.”
Reeling off Africa’s comparative advantage with vast resources, the the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Limited disclosed the African continent possesses ~17 percent of global natural gas reserves, vast critical minerals and, perhaps, one of the youngest populations on earth.
He, however, observed that the continent yet attracts a “disproportionately small share” of global energy investment worldwide.
Going forward, Engr. Ojulari told global energy stakeholders at the forum that this development must change, and that change requires a fundamental shift in mindset in all stakeholders in the continent.
Specifically, for Nigeria and Africa, he stated the that means the following imperatives:
- Strategic partnerships over transactional deals
- Integrated value chains in place of isolated projects
- Industrial economies built on our resources, not raw exports of them
- Turning research into industrial capacity
- Stable, investment-friendly regulation
- Developing indigenous technical capacity to compete globally.
The GCEO reaffirmed that at NNPC, the oil company is not just an energy producer, but an ecosystem builder; connecting capital, technology, policy, talent, and markets to turn resources into shared prosperity.
Ojulari added: “The opportunity is extraordinary. The responsibility is ours. The time to act is now.”