The Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Ltd, Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari, has called on African nations to harmonise infrastructure, policy and capital deployment as a strategic pathway to achieving lasting energy security across the continent.
Ojulari made the call during a fireside chat with Mr. Andy Brown, Deputy Chair of Ørsted and President of the Energy Institute, at the 2026 International Energy Week (IEW) in London on Wednesday.
He identified 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 critical pillars for safeguarding Africa’s energy future.
According to a statement issued by NNPC Ltd’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Mr. Andy Odeh, Ojulari said the company’s regional gas initiatives reflect how shared energy assets can unlock scale, efficiency and resilience, while expanding cross-border infrastructure.
He stressed the need to fast-track flagship projects such as the Nigeria–Morocco Gas Pipeline and the expansion of the West African Gas Pipeline, describing them as vital to deepening regional integration and boosting cross-border energy trade.
Ojulari also advocated aligned pricing frameworks, harmonised transit protocols, local content standards and joint technical regulations across African markets. Drawing lessons from Nigeria’s Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), he said regulatory clarity and policy coordination are essential to reducing investment friction, protecting shared infrastructure and ensuring equitable access to energy assets.
The NNPC boss further canvassed the establishment of structured joint investment platforms among African NOCs, arguing that the continent would attract and deploy capital more efficiently through collective action rather than fragmented national efforts.
On NNPC Ltd’s production targets, Ojulari said the company’s ambition to ramp up oil output, scale gas production and attract fresh investment would be driven by a pragmatic, Africa-focused strategy.
“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.
The International Energy Week is a leading global energy forum that brings together policymakers, industry executives, investors, regulators and innovators to deliberate on energy security, transition pathways, capital mobilisation and sustainability.
Ojulari’s intervention adds to growing calls for deeper regional cooperation as Africa seeks to balance development priorities with global climate commitments.
Align Infrastructure, Policy, Capital for Energy Security, Ojulari Urges Africa
