From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, has reaffirmed his commitment to the proposed US-Nigeria Energy Summit designed to drive energy co-operation and attract foreign investment into the oil and gas sector.
Lokpobiri stated this when he received a high-level delegation from the United States Department of Energy (DOE) to advance discussions on the proposed US-Nigeria Energy Summit aimed at deepening bilateral energy co-operation and attracting investment into Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
The delegation included Scott Eisner, President of BGR Group; Lester Munson, Vice-President of BGR Group; and Lisa Colangelo, Senior Advisor at Valcour Global Public Strategy. Also in attendance were Ambassador Brian Browne, Special Adviser to the President on Global and Pan-African Affairs; Sunday Dare, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications and Presidential Spokesperson; and Femi Soneye, Federal Government Project Coordinator.
Senator Lokpobiri noted that Nigeria’s vast undeveloped oil and gas resources, particularly deepwater assets and frontier basins beyond the Niger Delta, present significant opportunities for global investors.
According to him, “Nigeria is deliberately shifting from potential to performance, and we are committed to reforms that unlock investment, expand production, and drive long-term energy security.”
He further emphasised that the proposed summit must be structured around bankable, investment-ready projects rather than broad conversations, ensuring that outcomes are measurable, practical, and capable of immediate execution.
Discussions highlighted Nigeria’s underexplored reserves and the need for increased financing and technology transfer, with US and Western capital identified as key enablers for unlocking exploration and processing capacity.
The strategic importance of Nigeria as a stable West African energy supplier within shifting global geopolitical conditions was also noted, as they agreed on the need to move from broad engagement to a clearly defined set of three to seven priority projects capable of delivering immediate investment commitments.
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