Nigeria’s drive to increase indigenous participation in its oil and gas industry could offer important lessons for African countries seeking greater local ownership, investment and value retention across their energy sectors, industry leaders are expected to examine at the Nigeria Oil & Gas Outlook 2026.
The conference will bring together regulators, indigenous oil and gas companies, investors, professional services firms and energy infrastructure players to discuss how African countries can build stronger domestic energy companies capable of competing at scale.
The organisers said Nigeria’s petroleum industry was entering a new phase as indigenous operators assumed a greater share of oil and gas assets, creating both opportunities and challenges for the country and the wider African energy market.
“Nigeria’s indigenous energy sector is entering a defining chapter,” the organisers said, noting that the increasing role of local operators was shifting attention towards “the technical capacity, capital, infrastructure and supply chains required to operate and compete at scale.”
The development is particularly significant for Africa, where governments are seeking to maximise the economic benefits of their natural resources by increasing local participation, developing domestic expertise and retaining more value within their economies.
For Nigeria, the challenge is to ensure that the transfer of assets to indigenous operators translates into higher and sustainable production, greater investment, job creation and stronger local supply chains.
The conference is expected to explore how Nigeria can strengthen its indigenous energy companies while developing a more resilient oil and gas value chain that could serve as a reference point for other African petroleum-producing countries.
Among the industry leaders scheduled to participate are Mallam Rabiu Umar, Authority Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority; Olajumoke Cecilia Ajayi, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of West African Exploration and Production; Nneka Arowolo, Group Managing Director of Levene Energy; and Pade Durotoye, Managing Director of Nigeria Savannah Energy.
Other participants include Oladimeji Bashorun, Chief Executive Officer of Energia; Dipo Ashafa, Chief Operating Officer of Chappal Energies Mauritius Limited; Dr Abiodun Ogunjobi, Group Chief Technical Officer of NewcrossEP; Ejiro Gray, Executive Director of Sahara Group; and Dr Grace Orife, Chief Executive Officer of Lynx Analytics.
The conference will also feature perspectives from across Africa, including Dr Sheila Addo, Deputy Managing Director of Ghana’s National Petroleum Authority.
Other speakers include John Kadiri, Executive Secretary of the Association of Local Distributors of Gas; Dr Ayotunde Coker, Chief Executive Officer of Open Access Data Centres; Engr Chichi Emenike, Acting Managing Director of Gas Asset Manager, Neconde Energy; and Sumeet Singh, Chief Executive Officer of Powergas Nigeria.
Finance, consulting and legal perspectives will also come from Ayo Salami, Partner and Head of Natural Resources at KPMG West Africa; Oliver Onyekweli, Partner at McKinsey & Company; Folake Elias-Adebowale, Partner at UUBO; and Yemisi Awonuga, Team Lead, Projects/Natural Resources at Y Awonuga LP.
Key issues expected to feature include access to capital, technical expertise, infrastructure, gas development, supply-chain capacity and the ability of indigenous companies to manage increasingly complex petroleum operations.
The discussions come as African oil and gas producers seek to balance the need to attract international investment with growing demands for local ownership and greater participation by domestic companies.
For Nigeria, the outcome of this transition could extend beyond the country’s borders, particularly if indigenous operators demonstrate that African companies can successfully acquire, finance, operate and expand major petroleum assets.
The Nigeria Oil & Gas Outlook 2026 is therefore expected to provide a platform for examining not only Nigeria’s energy future but also the broader question of how Africa can build competitive indigenous energy companies and retain a greater share of the value created from its natural resources.
