NNPC, Sonatrach sign MoU

By Fredrick Ameh

Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and Algeria’s Sonatrach have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen collaboration in research, development, and innovation across the oil and gas sector.

The agreement, facilitated by NNPC’s Research, Technology and Innovation (RTI) Division in partnership with the Petroleum Technology Development Fund, establishes a framework for joint research and technology exchange between both national oil companies.

The MoU was signed by NNPC’s Executive Vice President, Business Services, Sophia Mbakwe, and Sonatrach’s Managing Director, Khodjah Mohamed, during the 3rd Meeting of the African Petroleum Producers’ Organization Forum for R&D Directors held at the PTDF Tower in Abuja.

Speaking at the event, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, represented by former APPO Secretary General Omar Farouk Ibrahim, said the R&D forum is one of several initiatives aimed at addressing challenges posed by the global energy transition, particularly in funding, technology, and market access.

Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Ltd, Bashir Bayo Ojulari, represented by Chief Financial Officer Adedapo Segun, emphasised that research and development must remain central to Africa’s energy strategy.

“Collaboration in research and development is of strategic importance. The cost of innovation might be high, but the cost of obsolescence would be greater,” he said.

Ojulari called for a unified framework to pool resources, integrate data, and share risks across African countries, while urging the adoption of digital technologies, artificial intelligence, and advanced engineering across the oil and gas value chain.

Also speaking, APPO Secretary General Farid Ghezali stressed the need for research outcomes to deliver practical solutions tailored to Africa’s needs.

The Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund, Shu’aibu Shehu Aliyu, highlighted the importance of the partnership in advancing decarbonisation and environmental sustainability across member countries.

Chief Innovation Officer of NNPC RTI and incoming Chairman of the APPO R&D Forum, Rasheed Ojulari, said the forum will prioritise joint programmes in upstream optimisation, artificial intelligence, decarbonisation, and industrial systems development.

The agreement marks a significant step toward strengthening Africa’s capacity for energy innovation, as stakeholders push for greater collaboration to enhance competitiveness and navigate the evolving global energy landscape.