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The Nigerian National Petroleum Company has identified the key pillars for securing Africa’s energy future during the recently concluded 2026 International Energy Week (IEW) in London 

The NNPC's group chief executive officer, Bashir Bayo Ojulari, highlighted the importance of shared infrastructure, policy alignment, coordinated investment frameworks, cross-border knowledge and technology exchange, integrated gas market development, and sustained regional diplomacy among national oil companies (NOCs).

As shared assets can lead to scale, efficiency and resilience, NNPC is prioritising the expansion of cross-border energy infrastructure, with regional gas initiatives ongoing in the region. Flagship projects such as the Nigeria–Morocco Gas Pipeline and the West African Gas Pipeline are critical for advancing regional integration and cross-border energy trade. 

Ojulari said that the continent must move towards aligned pricing frameworks, transit protocols, local content standards, and joint technical regulations, drawing lessons from reforms such as Nigeria’s Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), to reduce investment friction, safeguard cross-border infrastructure, and ensure equitable access to shared energy assets.

“Our pathway is clear: grow production responsibly, scale gas as the backbone of Africa’s industrialisation, strengthen environmental accountability, and align with global decarbonisation objectives—while ensuring that Africans are not left behind in the energy transition,” he said.

Energy data and intelligence provider, TGS, has announced the Ultra Profundo multi-client 2D survey offshore Angola

The survey spans approximately 12,600 line kilometers, and Ramform Victory began operations earlier in Q1. Data acquisition is likely to be completed in around 100 days, with fast-track products available in Q3. Full data processing is scheduled for completion in Q2 2027.

The Ultra Profundo multi-client 2D survey marks the first 2D multi-client acquisition over Angola’s ultra deep-water areas since 2015 and aims to reach previously underexplored region. The survey delivers modern, long-offset seismic data critical for imaging complex pre-salt and top-salt structures as well as basin floor channel systems, significantly enhancing regional geological understanding.

Kristian Johansen, CEO of TGS, said, “Angola’s ultra deep-water margin represents one of the most exciting frontier exploration opportunities in West Africa. Our Ultra Profundo multi-client 2D program delivers high-quality seismic coverage needed to unlock pre-salt and sub-salt potential. By leveraging TGS’ acquisition and imaging capabilities, we will provide high-quality data supporting future exploration activities.”

Perenco Congo has installed the new Kombi 2 platform with connection work currently underway on the Kombi-Likalala-Libondo II (KLL II) field, before commissioning begins early March

This marks the first redevelopment move in more than 20 years since the drilling of its last well. 

The field's future performance will stand secured from Kombi 2's new-generation infrastructure that ensures improved water and effluent treatment and increased associated gas recovery. On top of that, two gas turbines will generate 8 MW of electricity for greater energy autonomy for operations.

Designed to meet global sustainability standards, the six-well drilling campaign starting this year will involve production optimisation, enhanced field recovery, and field-life extension work, all of which will be supported by the forward-looking Kombi 2 platform. 

Considering it a historic field, Perenco Congo has invested more than US$200mn with a long-term strategy in the region. “This project is a concrete example of Perenco's commitment to investing in high-performance, responsible, and value-creating infrastructure that promotes the sustainable development of national resources,” said Gregoire de Courcelles, managing director of Perenco Congo.

Equatorial Guinea's national oil company, GEPetrol, has secured a heads of agreement (HoA) with American oil major, Chevron, pushing its stake in Block I's Aseng Gas Project from 5% to a whopping 32.55%

This means a big break for the country, which came following months of negotiation since the Vice President, Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue's visit to the United States last year. 

The partnership will go a long way in well establishing the country's stronghold on its natural resources, and leveraging Aseng output, as the single field is potential of determining several downstream and upstream developments under the Extended Gas Mega Hub initiative. Alongside big projects like Alen Tail and Yoyo-Yolanda, it also unlocks access for GEPetrol in Chevron-operated blocks and potential cross-border gas flows through Gulf of Guinea pipeline infrastructure.

The agreement further ensures for GEPetrol long-term gas supply to the Punta Europa complex that will help sustain existing LNG and processing infrastructure by improving cost efficiency and reducing stranded gas. As a gas monetisation hub, this will give the Equatorial Guinea an extra edge in the global commodities market, where LNG demand continues to gain prominence. 

“This agreement represents a strategic step forward for our energy sector, enhancing national participation and opening the door for further projects that will drive industrial development, create jobs and strengthen energy security for our country and the region,” said Antonio Oburu Ondo, Minister of Hydrocarbons and Mining Development of Equatorial Guinea, following the signing of the agreement at the People’s Palace in Malabo, where senior government officials, Chevron executives and the United States Ambassador were also present. 

The collaboration shows Chevron's reliance on Equatorial Guinea's oil and gas industry as well as its willingness for regional integration. The major is ready to support maximum state participation, with a greater emphasis on capacity building, knowledge transfer and local workforce development, to establish mutual opportunities from the country's broader Gas Mega Hub. This also reflects Equatorial Guinea's investors-friendly policies, which are adaptive to flexible financial solutions. 

Alongside Aseng-operator, Chevron, and GEPetrol, the project also includes Glencore and Gunvor.

Angola’s national oil company, Sonangol's projected operating and capital expenditure will be covered by a US$1.75bn syndicated receivables purchase facility that has been announced by African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) 

Brought into effect in collaboration with other mandated lead arrangers, the US$1.75bn facility has been designed with Sonangol's export-linked trade structures in mind. The move aligns with Afreximbank’s push for Africa’s prominence in global trade by promoting demand-intensive commodities for export. This strategic financing will support Sonangol in unlocking better access into the export market, which can prove to be a goldmine for the region given global oil supply volatilities. 

Elaborating on the strategic financing, Afreximbank's Global Trade Bank executive vice president, Haytham Elmaayergi, said, “The transaction will help Sonangol meet its operating and capital needs, sustain export flows, increase energy availability, and support Angola’s broader industrialisation and economic transformation, while directly contributing to increased African participation in global trade.” 

Afreximbank is taking an innovative approach in turning oil price volatility in favour of Africa by implementing de-risked structures. This eases security arrangements while securing returns for lenders. 

Afreximbank has framed the US$1.75bn facility in a catalytic and balance-sheet-led manner to ensure sustainable support to Angola's oil and gas sector. This will encourage Angolan operators to take up more exploration projects in the region, in turn boosting value creation and export strength. 

Acknowleding the facility as a strategic move in championing African business globally, Elmaayergi said, “This US$1.75 billion syndicated receivables facility underscores Afreximbank’s commitment to supporting African energy champions and safeguarding export capacity that is critical to our member states’ macroeconomic sovereignty and trade resilience. By deploying innovative structures that provide comfort to lenders while easing traditional security requirements, we are able to crowd source much needed capital into strategic sectors.”

"The first thing that is important for the overall management of the company is to start trying to be visible," said the group chief executive officer of Nigerian National Petroleum Company, Bashir Bayo Ojulari, at the International Energy Week, while speaking to Andy Brown, the president of Energy Institute, which recently hosted the event's seventh edition in London

As the NNPC works towards achieving 3 million barrels of oil per day by 2030, the government-turned-private company is reviewing its portfolio as it undergoes major revisioning and restructuring. Ojulari hailed this as a very bold step on the Nigerian President's part, especially because the injection of international oil company veterans complemented the company's regional structure to form a new leadership team.

"Based on what we have seen so far, we are firstly restructuring the shape of our partnerships. Majority of our production, as you know, is in partnership with Shell, ExxonMobil, and other private companies. We focused on aligning our programmes and plans with these partners so that we have a joint committee," he said, alongside highlighting financing as a second challenge, which is also driving the company's portfolio decisions. 

NNPC's vision lies in pushing industrialisation within Nigeria and the rest of sub-Saharan Africa, while expanding the localisation of both oil and gas. The company's focus on meeting energy demand within Africa stands clear even at international platforms such as the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, where its strategy is more about deepening utilisation of its own resources than just producing and exporting. To ramp up expansion on the downstream side, the major Dangote refinery besides, several local refineries are currently operational as well. NNPC has thus identified significant downstream projects that can potentially support additional power generation, industrial gas-based industries, fertilisers and petrochemical points. Last year alone five agreements have been signed to advance utilisation across the region.

Gas is also a major element for NNPC in catapulting industrialisation in Africa. For starters, industrial parks in Nigeria were identified as supply points for mass consumption. These will be brought under the mega-infrasrtucture of the highly anticipated Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano Natural Gas Pipeline and the Obiafu-Obrikom-Oben pipeline projects that are ready for commissioning this year. The combined capacity of these two pipelines are set to exceed 2 billion cubic feet of gas per day.

"We're passionate about connecting Africa," said Ojulari as he mentioned the African Atlantic Gas Pipeline that is set to run across West Africa down to Morocco. Expressing excitement regarding the project's viability inspite of its challenges, he said, "But today it's commercially very profitable venture...our plan is to just go in chunks. So the next is to go to Ivory Coast." Assuring that a list of countries are lined up to join the project, he explained, "Some of those countries also have gas resources, but they do not have the economy or scale. So the idea of that pipeline is that those countries that have stranded gas can also connect their gas to the pipeline as well as take the gas."

Having served six years as the managing director of Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company, Ojulari's new role demands fresh approach towards success. "In Shell and in other IOC companies...we focus on the financial side of the opportunity...And then when we are all done, let's look at the non technical," he said while explaining how IOCs have their own framework with technical, economic, commercial, organisational and political aspects. And once all that are figured out, they check the competition in the industry.

On the other hand, speaking of his new role, he said, "We can't afford to do that in my world. We start with the political...It becomes more critical because here NNPC is owned by the 230 million Nigerians. They are shareholders. They have appointed two entities -- the finance ministry and the petroleum industry to be the holders of the shares. So our accountability is to these 230 million people. We cannot afford to exclude ourselves from the political structure. We are carrying people along...bringing in the key people."

He went on to add, "We are starting a project. You need to bring somebody from the Minister of Finance. We bring them up. So that way we all get to be part of the project. We're making progress...we are more confident, and we are getting a lot of support in terms of the direction we're going."

According to Ojulari, establishing capital and organisational discipline is critical in achieving operational excellence and NNPC's future repositioning. He acknowledged the role of the company's leadership in bringing on board the sheer knowledge around how exploration and production businesses should be run, and how that knowledge is being transmitted to the country's gas power, new energy and downstream business. This also allows the company to be prepared to demonstrate "what it looks like" as when political influence comes into question, a lot depends "around the ability to show what it looks like". 

While the fundamental structures around the paperwork are in place for NNPC's transition into a private company post the Petroleum Industry Act 2021, changing the deep-rooted culture still remains one of the biggest challenges. "From being a corporation to a privately owned company, what we have realised is that the Nigerians are not fully clear of the [transition]. It requires a lot of interaction." 

The community-based surveillance structure that has been introduced by the government to address oil theft issues in Nigeria has proved a success on this matter. Involving the combined efforts of not just the security forces but also the community, a 100% availability was achieved in production reconciliation in the terminals, which earlier went as low as 10%.

"Most times we look at [such] challenges from a security perspective, but is a fundamental social problem. Here you have an environment where you still need a lot of development and a lot of social structure. So what was unique about this surveillance structure was that it was a community based surveillance structure which then combined the effort of the community as well as the effort of the security forces. And what we started to see is that once we integrated and focused on development of the communities as well, we started achieving 100% availability...for the last nine months now," said Ojulari.