Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, has urged African nations to deepen regional energy integration as a strategy to end dependence on imports and address the continent’s $120 billion annual energy bill.
Speaking at the Africa Oil Week 2025 Ministerial and CEO Leadership Forum in Accra, Ghana, Lokpobiri said Africa must build shared infrastructure, harmonise standards, and pool technical expertise to secure its energy future.
He described the continent’s reliance on hydrocarbon imports as “capital flight,” noting that such resources should be retained within Africa to fund its development priorities.
“The real challenge is not capital but the absence of aligned regulatory frameworks and fiscal regimes. Investors make long-term decisions based on stability and predictability. Africa must harmonise policies to attract and retain investment,” he stated.
The Minister announced Nigeria’s plan to establish a West African Reference Market (WARM), designed to leverage the country’s expanding refining capacity to supply petroleum products across the sub-region.
On the global energy transition, Lokpobiri argued that the Paris Agreement does not mandate abandoning fossil fuels but rather cutting emissions. He stressed Africa’s limited contribution to global carbon output—about 3 percent—while highlighting the need to prioritise energy access.
“We cannot lead an energy transition when we don’t even have energy. Our priority must be to responsibly harness our abundant resources to power growth,” he said.
