The Executive Vice President, Business Services, NNPC Limited, Sophia Mbakwe, has charged young professionals to take the lead in driving innovation and competitiveness in Nigeria’s energy sector amid rapid global transformation.
Mbakwe made the call on Monday in Lagos while delivering the keynote address at the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Young Professionals Workshop during the Nigeria Annual International Conference and Exhibition (NAICE) 2026.
Speaking on the theme, “Collaborative Growth in the Energy Sector: How Young Professionals Can Drive Innovation and Competitiveness,” she defined innovation as “the courage to see a problem clearly, the discipline to think through solutions, and the humility to collaborate in developing solutions that become useful.”
She noted that evolving conversations around energy transition, gas development, clean energy, greenhouse gas emissions, financing, artificial intelligence and digital technologies are reshaping the global energy landscape.
According to her, young professionals must remain adaptive and forward-thinking to remain relevant in the industry.
Mbakwe urged participants to leverage technology, strengthen local capacity and support initiatives that attract investment into the sector.
She also highlighted the need to optimise Nigeria’s gas resources, boost oil production, reduce emissions and expand energy access and security across Africa.
The NNPC executive emphasised that collaboration and enterprise-driven thinking will be critical in addressing the complex challenges facing the energy industry.
The SPE NAICE conference remains one of the leading platforms for industry stakeholders to discuss trends, share knowledge and explore solutions for sustainable energy development.
