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Nigeria’s Increased Equity In Gas Bodes Well For Africa’s Energy Future – Olu Verheijen

Nigeria has attracted more than $8 billion or N12.8 trillion investments in deepwater projects and gas Final Investment Decisions (FIDs) in a single year.

This is according to the Special Adviser on Energy to President Bola Tinubu, Olu Verheijen, who made this known at the 2025 Africa CEO Forum held in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

Speaking via a press statement by the Team Lead, Communications, in the Office of the Special Adviser, Senan Murray, she said that the impressive record was achieved mainly because of key decisions made by President Tinubu.

According to Olu, the decisions by the President focused on enhanced fiscal terms, adequate contracting timelines, clearer local content rules, and power sector reforms enabling gas-to-power commercial viability.

Urging industry leaders across Africa to learn from Nigeria, she revealed that other African nations can move past begging for external support to making an unrelenting effort to become an investment destination built on the solid foundation of clear policies, commercial logic and strategic intent.

“Africa must partner smartly, not from dependency, but from aligned strategic interest. Nigeria has been able to prove that this approach works. We moved from gridlock to green light and investors responded.

Nigeria’s attainment of an increase in indigenous equity in gas, from 69 per cent to 83 per cent, is not just a statistic but a seismic shift in ownership and control of Africa’s energy future,” she said.

The special adviser concluded by telling African investors, DFIs, banks, pension funds, and sovereigns, to work on filling the void left by International Oil Companies (IOCs), not only with funding, but with key instruments and risk-sharing structures.

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