President Bola Tinubu says the country is in line to boost crude oil production to an ambitious three million barrels per day with facilities that can ensure its smooth evacuation.
He made this disclosure during the commissioning of the $400 million Green Energy International Limited (GEIL) crude oil export terminal in Otakikpo, Rivers State on Wednesday.
The facility is the first by any Nigerian company and the only one built in the country in over 50 years.
Speaking at the event, the President said that the project represented a new chapter in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry and aligned directly with the core priorities of his administration to ramp up crude oil production by enabling a secure, transparent, and efficient evacuation system.
Mr Tinubu stated that the Otakikpo terminal will not only serve GEIL’s production, but will also open an efficient evacuation outlet for marginal and stranded fields across the Niger Delta region, unlocking billions of barrels of reserves and creating value for the economy.
Represented by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Mr Heineken Lokpobiri, he stressed that the project was also a shining example of his government’s expectation of current licensees.
He noted that having provided what he described as ‘global competitive fiscals and incentives’, his expectation and hopes were that they will put fields to work to meet set obligations.
On the Ogoni and federal government peace resolution, he stressed that only recently, the government, working with the people of the area and other stakeholders in Rivers State, reached a deal to pave the way for the resumption of oil exploration activities in Ogoni land.
Describing it as a significant breakthrough, President Tinubu stated that it reflects Nigeria’s collective commitment to dialogue, mutual respect, and sustainable development, explaining that the Otakikpo terminal is therefore not just an infrastructure project, but a signal of renewed confidence in Rivers State and the Niger Delta.
“[This] commissioning is more than just opening of a terminal, it is a testament of Nigeria’s resilience and commitment, a new era of indigenous participation, and progress in our oil and gas sector,” he added.
Speaking on financing challenges in the oil and gas sector, the President stated that that era will soon be over, assuring that the $5 billion African Energy Bank (AEB) was about to commence operations and will ease the difficulty in getting funding.
“Let me also assure Green Energy that the era of perhaps looking elsewhere for finance will soon be over. We have discovered that the biggest challenge we have in Africa is access to finance. And that was why we’ve come up with the African Energy Bank, which is ready to go.
“Nigeria as the host country has met its obligations. We have met all our obligations, whether legal or financial. We have met all our obligations. We are waiting for the bank to take off, which I think will take off any moment from now,” he stated.
According to the President, another big issue in the oil sector is evacuation of crude oil, noting that the new 750,000 barrels facility expandable to 3 million barrels, will help ameliorate such existing problems.
He also cautioned against holding on to oil licences eternally without doing any serious field work, stressing that that era was also over for good.
“There is always a minimum work obligation. The minimum work obligation must be met by all those who have marginal licenses. If you don’t have capacity to do it, you better go and look for something else to do instead of wasting your time in oil and gas,” he warned.