The Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO), of the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Engr. Bayo Ojulari, on Wednesday said despite abundant reserves, Nigeria’s oil production has not matched her potential and called for a change of that narrative. This is as the President of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), Comrade Festus Osifo, said that it’s imperative that every worker, especially in the oil and gas sector deserves a safe environment.
Both Ojulari and Osifo spoke at the 4th PENGASSAN Energy and Labour Summit, PEALS, in Abuja with the theme: ‘Building a Resilient Oil and Gas Sector in Nigeria: Advancing HSE, ESG, Investment, and Incremental Production’.
Addressing the challenge of production levels, Ojulari stated: ‘Despite abundant reserves, Nigeria’s production output has not matched our potential. We must change that narrative. Every barrel counts. Every molecule of gas counts. Incremental production will not come from one big move, but from many smart, coordinated actions across the value chain’.
Ojulari, in his keynote address said, ‘At NNPC Limited, we are focusing on rigorous field development, improving security in the Niger Delta, reducing leakages, and unlocking stranded assets. Through partnerships, data-driven decisions, and innovation, we aim to incrementally grow our daily production to sustainable levels’.
He added that there was urgent need for resilience in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, citing the rapidly changing global energy landscape driven by dual imperatives of energy security and energy transition.
He affirmed that for Nigeria, resilience is not optional but a national responsibility underpinned by operational excellence, fiscal discipline, regulatory compliance, and people-centric leadership.
He said environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles are critical to building trust and long-term value, stressing that the NNPC limited’s energy transition roadmap is aimed at reducing the company’s carbon footprint, investing in gas as a transition fuel, and enhancing transparency.
Ojulari called for the creation of an attractive and stable investment climate underpinned by the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), adding that the NNPCL new business model is focused on value creation and competitiveness, including asset monetization, infrastructure investments, and public-private partnerships.
He praised PENGASSAN’s historic role in workforce development and industry protection, urging the union and all participants to remain constructive and forward-looking in building a sustainable and thriving Nigerian oil and gas sector.
In his welcome address, the Osifo, who doubles as President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), reflected on the summit’s impactful journey, highlighting its role in tackling pressing industry challenges such as gas development, energy transition, AI integration, and crude theft.
Osifo stressed that the true measure of progress is ensuring every worker returns home safely and condemned unsafe practices depicted in a recent video from an oil installation in Nigeria, where workers were seen performing hazardous tasks without proper equipment—an aberration that risked lives and led to strikes due to management’s inadequate response.
He said: ‘The true measure of stewardship is ensuring every worker returns home safely. Unsafe conditions must never be the price of resilience.
‘From the creeks to offshore platforms, every worker deserves a secure environment, robust safety processes, continuous training, advanced technologies, and transparent reporting’.
