Experts To Deliberate On Nigeria’s Energy Security Amid Policy Reforms

Key stakeholders and regulatory agencies in Nigeria’s energy industry will examine developments in the midstream and downstream petroleum sectors amid the federal government’s fiscal reforms at the 2026 OTL Africa Downstream Energy Week in Lagos.

The event will provide a platform for energy analysts and industry players to assess prevailing policies, identify challenges and propose solutions to boost growth across the petroleum value chain.

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, said Nigeria was accelerating efforts to harness its gas resources to drive industrialisation, power generation, transportation, manufacturing, fertiliser production, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) adoption and other productive activities.

Speaking at the 2026 conference of the Nigeria Association of Energy Correspondents (NAEC), themed: “Access to Assets: Empowering Players and Driving Growth,” Ekpo, who was represented by his Technical Adviser, Engr. Abel Nsa, said the federal government continued to prioritise critical gas infrastructure.

He identified the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) and Obiafu-Obrikom-Oben (OB3) gas pipelines as key projects aimed at strengthening the national gas network and connecting supply sources to major demand centres.

He said infrastructure development was essential to linking Nigeria’s natural resources with the industries, power plants, businesses and households that depend on them.

The 2026 edition of OTL Africa Downstream Energy Week, themed “Secure Energy, Shared Prosperity,” will examine how African economies can translate their energy resources, expanding refining capacity and growing markets into reliable supplies, competitive businesses and tangible benefits for consumers.

The event comes at a critical time for Africa’s energy industry, as changing petroleum trade flows, geopolitical uncertainties, foreign exchange pressures and high financing costs continue to test the resilience of supply chains.

At the same time, investments in refining, gas, storage, logistics and emerging energy solutions present opportunities to boost African production, deepen regional trade and retain more economic value within the continent.

The organisers said Africa’s energy security should be measured by what businesses and households experience, including reliable supplies, assured product quality and affordable costs that enable businesses and everyday life to thrive.

The theme: “Secure Energy, Shared Prosperity,” highlights the investment, innovation and cooperation required to achieve these objectives. OTL 2026 will bring together stakeholders responsible for shaping the continent’s energy future.

Regional energy market integration will be a major focus, with discussions examining how greater regulatory cooperation, compatible product standards, efficient trade corridors and improved infrastructure can strengthen connections between African markets.

LEADERSHIP reports that the programme will also explore opportunities presented by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to expand petroleum products trade and support industrial development.

Nigeria’s evolving downstream market will receive particular attention during a session titled “Competition in Nigeria’s New Downstream Market: Balancing Market Power, Investment and Consumer Protection.”

The session will examine how the market can attract investment and support domestic refining while ensuring fair competition, efficient distribution and consumer confidence.

The discussions will also consider how to balance the interests of operators across the energy value chain. Refiners require dependable feedstock and market access, while traders and marketers need predictable regulations and efficient logistics. Consumers, in turn, require quality products and reliable supplies.

Other areas of focus will include regulatory convergence in African oil and gas markets, developments in West African fuels markets, integrated petroleum operations and Africa’s energy outlook.

Specialist sessions will examine feedstock strategies and refinery competitiveness, future forecourt solutions and changing consumer behaviour, gas and renewable energy infrastructure, as well as opportunities in the lubricants and petrochemicals industries.

Dedicated finance and logistics forums will consider ways to mobilise capital for energy businesses and infrastructure, improve tanker shipping and product distribution, and strengthen supply chains against disruptions.

The discussions will focus on practical commercial and policy responses to Africa’s energy needs.

Alongside the conference, the OTL trade exhibition will provide a platform for companies to showcase products, technologies and services, meet prospective customers and develop partnerships across refining, trading, shipping, storage, logistics, retail, gas and related industries.

The anniversary programme will feature the 20th Anniversary Industry Dinner and Awards, the Founders’ Fireside Forum, networking engagements and a scheduled tour of the Dangote Refinery.

The activities will combine recognition of the industry’s achievements with opportunities to examine its future direction.

Since its inception in 2007, OTL Africa Downstream Energy Week has provided a platform for industry dialogue, business development and engagement between public institutions and private-sector operators.

The conference comes as Nigeria’s frontier basins attract growing interest from oil exploration companies, with the country opening up new field opportunities to domestic and foreign investors.

Developments in the upstream sector are critical to supporting activities across the midstream and downstream segments of the petroleum industry.

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) said it was targeting the recovery of more than 788,000 barrels of crude oil per day from shut-in production while seeking to attract between $30 billion and $50 billion in offshore investments.

The commission’s Chief Executive, Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, disclosed this on Thursday while speaking at the annual conference of the Nigeria Association of Energy Correspondents in Lagos.

Eyesan said the Anambra Basin, Benue Trough, Chad Basin and Benin Basin had attracted serious investor interest for the first time, indicating that exploration opportunities were expanding beyond the Niger Delta.

“For the first time in our history, our frontier basins, the Anambra Basin, the Benue Trough, the Chad Basin and the Benin Basin, attracted serious investor interest. That tells me the world is looking at the whole of Nigeria, not only the Niger Delta,” she said.