Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, (Oil) Senator Heineken Lokpobiri has challenged participants at the ongoing Nigeria Oil and Gas Opportunity Fair, (NOGOF 2025) in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State to use the opportunity to re-strategize on how to utilize the resources from the nation’s oil and gas to engender long term prosperity for the country.
The minister described the fair themed, “Driving Investment and Production Growth: Shaping a Sustainable Oil and Gas Industry through Indigenous Capacity Development” as a hallmark initiative of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB).
He maintained that the theme is not a mere statement, but “a clear call to action; a call to rethink how we produce, how we partner, and how we build – not just for today’s energy needs, but for Nigeria’s long-term prosperity”.
The minister stated that the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu envisions a bold transformation agenda across the oil and gas sector with focus on reengineering Nigeria’s energy value chain, making it more efficient, inclusive, and significantly more attractive to both global and local investors.
He spoke on the derivables from the Petroleum Industry Act, (PIA) and how the NCDMB has evolved from enforcing local content compliance to driving industrialization, innovation, and enterprise development.
The minister noted with pride that judging from what has been achieved so far in the oil and gas industry value chain, the country has moved from “targets to impact”.
He said, “Let me be clear: NOGOF is not just a fair, it is a national platform that fosters catalytic investments. The opportunities being showcased during this event are not theoretical wish lists; they are real, vetted, and ready for implementation.
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“They represent multibillion-dollar opportunities across upstream, midstream, and downstream sectors. They cut across oil processing, pipeline construction, marginal field development, refining, and logistics. And embedded in every project is a local content dimension, a promise to create jobs, build skills, and retain value within our borders.
“I urge our partners, financiers, and EPC contractors: go beyond conversations and exchanging of business cards — initiate commitments. Let this edition of NOGOF spark the MOUs, partnerships, and investment decisions that will shape the narrative of the Nigerian petroleum industry for decades to come”.
Lokpobiri also used the occasion to address the youths and local entrepreneurs in the oil and gas value chain, emphasizing their invaluable position.
“The Ministry of Petroleum Resources and the NCDMB are actively expanding training, mentorship, funding access, and innovation hubs tailored to you. We are committed to fostering inclusive growth. So, whether you are a startup working on energy tech, a female-led fabrication firm, or a young engineer seeking experience, there is space for you at the heart of Nigeria’s oil and gas revolution”, he assured.
