Nigeria’s crude oil production rose from 1 million to 1.8 million barrels per day, with the government aiming for 2.5 million, while officials called for greater African energy sovereignty.
Nigeria’s Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, said that Nigeria’s oil production rose to 1.8 million barrels per day, from 1 million, adding that the goal is to reach 2.5 million bdp, as American companies are already showing strong interest in investing in Nigerian oil blocks.
Speaking at the inaugural Africa Energy Investment summit (AE Invest 2025) in New York, Lokpobiri urged continued investment in fossil fuels, saying: “Africa must not be deceived into abandoning fossil fuels while the West continues to expand production. Our hydrocarbons will finance our transition, not charity, not aid.”
Also at the summit, H.E. Antonio Oburu Ondo, Minister of Hydrocarbon Mining Development of Equatorial Guinea, warned that “Africa holds 40% of the world’s natural resource discoveries yet remains at the mercy of financiers in London, Paris, and New York. Energy finance is a question of sovereignty…”
And Dr. Omar Farouk Ibrahim, Secretary General of the African Petroleum Producers Organization (APPO), said: “The United Nations General Assembly, UNGA, brings all our leaders and investors together, making it the ideal platform to connect, engage, and unlock funding for Africa’s energy future.”