Seplat CEO calls for energy addition, unveils roadmap for Nigeria’s energy future
By Firdaus Jibril
The newly appointed Chief Executive Officer of Seplat Energy Plc, Engr. Effiong Okon, has called on Nigeria to pursue an energy addition strategy, urging the country to expand investment in oil, gas, electricity, and renewable energy to strengthen energy security and drive economic growth.
Making his first public address as Seplat Energy’s CEO at the 49th Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Nigeria Annual International Conference and Exhibition (NAICE) 2026 in Lagos, Okon said Nigeria’s energy transition should focus on increasing access to cleaner, reliable, and affordable energy rather than reducing existing energy sources.
“The transition for a country like Nigeria cannot mean removing energy from a system that already has too little. It must mean adding cleaner, more reliable, and more affordable energy to power development without compromising existing industries,” he said.
According to him, the country requires more electricity, greater gas supply for industries, increased use of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for cleaner cooking, responsible oil production, stronger transmission and distribution networks, renewable energy where commercially viable, and sustained investment in technology and skills.
Okon described natural gas as the cornerstone of Nigeria’s industrialisation, saying it should power factories, fertiliser plants, petrochemical industries, data centres, compressed natural gas (CNG) initiatives, exports, and cleaner cooking.
He added that Nigeria must strengthen gas-to-power projects, expand electricity generation, and improve transmission infrastructure if it hopes to compete for investments in artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and digital services.
The Seplat CEO noted that recent geopolitical tensions and disruptions to global energy supply chains have reinforced the need for countries to build resilient energy systems, adding that Nigeria has an opportunity to position itself as a reliable energy supplier by improving production, expanding gas infrastructure, and ensuring consistent energy delivery.
He also expressed support for the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited’s target of increasing crude oil production to three million barrels per day and gas production to 12 billion standard cubic feet per day by 2030.
“In 2026, we are set to beat our 2025 performance when you look at our recently released Q2 and H1 2026 performance. NNPCL has set a 2030 ambition of three million barrels per day and 12 Bscf/d. We are very much behind this goal,” he said.
Highlighting Seplat’s contribution to the sector, Okon said the company currently supplies up to 30 per cent of Nigeria’s grid-connected gas for power generation and is continuing to expand its gas processing capacity to support the country’s growing energy needs.
He urged governments, regulators, investors, and operators to deepen collaboration, improve infrastructure reliability, accelerate gas development, maintain policy consistency, and invest in developing skilled professionals to build a resilient energy sector.
Okon concluded that Nigeria has the resources, while Africa has a growing energy demand, stressing that turning those opportunities into economic growth will depend on disciplined execution, strong partnerships, and sustained investment.