The Federal Government on Tuesday issued a strong warning to international oil companies and other operators in the petroleum industry, insisting that only firms ready to fast track field development and approve viable projects will retain their place in Nigeria’s energy sector.
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources Oil, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, delivered the warning at the 2025 Practical Nigerian Content Forum held in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
Lokpobiri said accelerating real activity and not dormant licences remains critical to boosting crude oil output, strengthening the economy and keeping Nigeria competitive in the global hydrocarbons market.
Speaking on the theme Industry Stakeholders to Advance Nigerian Content Implementation, the minister said the renewed global acceptance of hydrocarbons presents an opportunity Nigeria must urgently seize, stressing that the government is open, ready and determined to attract new investments.
He noted that improved alignment among the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority and the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board has restored investor confidence, but warned that operators must now respond with concrete execution.
“EPCs will not mobilise on promises. They need real projects. Without approved field development plans, credible drilling schedules and firm capital commitments, contractors will not take us seriously,” Lokpobiri said.
Welcoming the ongoing 2025 licensing round offering 50 oil blocks, the minister declared that only technically and financially capable bidders should participate. He warned that the era of acquiring licences and leaving them idle like souvenirs was over, stressing the need for accelerated activity across all available assets.
He added that the Federal Government is addressing security challenges, fast tracking regulatory approvals, reviving stalled projects and expanding evacuation infrastructure to support production growth.
According to him, every additional barrel of crude produced boosts government revenue, creates jobs and stabilises the economy.
On local content development, Lokpobiri said Nigeria is shifting from basic participation to global competitiveness through stricter compliance, improved monitoring and disciplined funding for indigenous service companies. He urged operators, EPC firms, host communities and financiers to move from conversation to commitment.
Also speaking at the forum, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources Gas, Honorable Ekperikpe Ekpo, said the Petroleum Industry Act has fully liberalised the midstream and downstream gas sectors, enabling major infrastructure projects such as the AKK and OB3 gas pipelines, as well as trans Saharan and trans Atlantic gas schemes and new regional interconnections.
The Special Adviser to the President on Energy, Olu Verheijen, reaffirmed the administration’s target of achieving three million barrels of oil production per day.
Meanwhile, the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, Engineer Felix Ogbe, disclosed that Nigerian content levels have risen to 61 percent. He added that the board plans to conclude Project 100 by April 2026 and operationalise the Nigerian Oil and Gas Parks Scheme facilities in Odukpani and Emeyal One.
