Key points
- Federal Government asks petroleum engineers and industry professionals to support Nigeria’s target of three million barrels per day by 2030.
- NUPRC’s latest bid round produced 37 oil blocks won by 31 companies, with potential investment estimated at $15 billion to $21 billion.
- New NIPetE leadership plans to strengthen technical training, policy advocacy, stakeholder engagement and human capital development.
Main story
The Federal Government has called on petroleum engineers to contribute their expertise towards achieving Nigeria’s target of producing three million barrels of crude oil per day by 2030.
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri, made the call on Saturday in Abuja while inaugurating Dr Yetunde Aladeitan as the sixth National Chairman of the Nigerian Institution of Petroleum Engineers (NIPetE) and members of its Executive Committee.
The inauguration was held alongside a public lecture and fellowship conferment ceremony themed, “Assets, Talent and Integrity: Engineering Nigeria’s 3 Million BPD Target.”
Represented by his Technical Assistant, Business, Kroky Biowe, Lokpobiri said the government was expanding oil production and developing infrastructure to accommodate additional crude volumes as part of efforts to achieve energy sufficiency.
He urged petroleum engineers to apply their knowledge and experience to the government’s production drive, describing the three million bpd target as achievable with the right technical support and industry collaboration.
The minister said the government was also expanding the country’s production base through new field development and investment initiatives.
He disclosed that the Nigerian Upstream Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) had completed a bid round in which 31 companies emerged winners of 37 oil blocks.
According to Lokpobiri, the development could attract between $15 billion and $21 billion in investment and deliver peak production of about 175,000 barrels per day.
He urged the new NIPetE leadership and its fellows to work with government, regulators and operators across the oil and gas value chain to provide the expertise required to achieve the production target.
Lokpobiri also commended Aladeitan’s emergence as the institution’s national chairman and acknowledged the contribution of women to Nigeria’s petroleum industry.
In her remarks, Aladeitan said her administration would focus on rebuilding NIPetE and strengthening its relevance to the energy industry.
She said the leadership would prioritise stakeholder engagement, policy advocacy, technical development and human capital development during its tenure.
According to her, NIPetE would establish quarterly industry roundtables and joint projects while deepening engagement with government agencies, regulators and operating companies.
She also announced plans for a policy advisory council to develop papers on the Petroleum Industry Act, fiscal reforms and value-chain optimisation.
The institution would further introduce mentorship and internship programmes for young engineers, expand Reservoir Simulation Training and offer additional training in areas including well engineering, production optimisation and digital transformation.
Aladeitan said NIPetE would also establish a Diaspora Engineering Initiative to connect Nigerian engineers abroad with the domestic industry for knowledge transfer and collaboration.
The Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), represented by its Deputy President, Valerie Agberagba, congratulated the new NIPetE leadership and called for professionalism, ethical practice and institutional continuity.
Agberagba said Nigeria had the reserves, technical expertise and operational experience needed to pursue its production ambition, but noted that achieving three million bpd would require effective governance and the development and retention of engineering talent.
The Caretaker Committee Chairman of NIPetE, Joe Nwakwu, said the committee had completed its mandate by laying the groundwork for the emergence of a properly constituted National Executive Committee.
He urged the new leadership to put the interests of the institution first, maintain active engagement with members and strengthen NIPetE’s contribution to the oil and gas industry, government and academia.
The issues
Nigeria’s three million barrels per day production target depends not only on increasing oil output but also on the availability of capable professionals, functioning assets and infrastructure, investment and effective industry coordination.
The inauguration of a new NIPetE leadership therefore comes at a time when the industry is being called upon to provide the technical expertise needed to support increased production while maintaining professional and ethical standards.
What’s being said
“I need you to support the Federal Government by sharing your knowledge and wealth of experience to enable us collectively achieve Mr President’s production target of three million bopd by the year 2030. It is possible.” — Heineken Lokpobiri, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil)
“These and many other projects and initiatives are deliberate steps being taken by this Government to enable us achieve three million barrels of oil per day in 2030.” — Heineken Lokpobiri, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil)
“NIPetE would intensify engagement with government agencies, regulators and operating companies while establishing a formal framework for quarterly roundtable discussions and joint industry projects.” — Yetunde Aladeitan, NIPetE National Chairman
“Achieving three million bpd would ultimately test governance, professional discipline and the effective deployment, development and retention of engineering talent.” — Valerie Agberagba, Deputy President, Nigerian Society of Engineers
What’s next
Aladeitan’s administration plans to implement its six-month institutional rebuilding programme, followed by an 18-month focus on stakeholder engagement, policy advocacy, technical excellence and human capital development.
NIPetE also plans to establish quarterly industry roundtables, a policy advisory council, mentorship and internship programmes, expanded technical training and the Diaspora Engineering Initiative.
Bottom line
The Federal Government is looking to petroleum engineers to provide the technical expertise needed to turn Nigeria’s three million barrels per day ambition into higher production, while the new NIPetE leadership has outlined institutional and professional reforms aimed at supporting that goal.
