Heirs energies forum: Public, private sector leaders unite to boost Nigeria’s oil production
By Seun Ibiyemi
Leaders from Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, both public and private, gathered at the inaugural Petroleum Industry Leadership Dialogue hosted by Heirs Energies in Abuja.
The forum, held at the Transcorp Hilton, focused on accelerating Nigeria’s crude oil production to drive economic growth.
Moderated by Heirs Energies CEO Osayande Igiehon, the event featured key industry figures, including Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri; NUPRC Chief Executive, Engr. Gbenga Komolafe; OPEC Board of Governors Chairman for Nigeria, Ademola Adeyemi-Bero; and NNPC Executive Vice-President, Upstream, Udobong Ntia.
Senator Lokpobiri revealed that Nigeria’s oil production had reached 1.8 million barrels per day as of January 2025, with an ambitious target of 2.5 million barrels per day set for the year.
He praised Heirs Energies for providing a platform for meaningful industry engagement, reaffirming the government’s “drill or drop” policy to push production growth.
The Chairman of Heirs Energies, Tony Elumelu highlighted the transformative role of indigenous companies in Nigeria’s oil sector.
“Production growth, ambitious and sustained, is our shared national mission,” he stated.
“As we build Africa’s largest integrated energy business, innovation and collaboration are central to our execution.”
Heirs Energies has significantly increased its production, growing from 21,000 to over 50,000 barrels per day within just four years.
The company’s Brownfield Excellence Strategy, strong security measures, and community partnerships have been instrumental in driving this success.
The Chief Executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Engr. Gbenga Komolafe emphasized the importance of collaboration, noting the surge in active drilling rigs to 38, with projections to hit 50 by March 2025.
Chairman of OPEC’s Board of Governors for Nigeria, Ademola Adeyemi-Bero stressed the importance of boosting production early in the year. “This forum is timely. It’s about how we grow production, and that’s why we are all here,” he said.
The forum reinforced Nigeria’s commitment to increased oil production while ensuring environmental responsibility and leveraging gas as a transition fuel.
With plans for the Petroleum Industry Leadership Dialogue to become an annual event, Heirs Energies is positioning itself as a key driver of growth in Africa’s energy sector, aligning with its vision of ensuring that Africans benefit from the continent’s vast natural resources.
