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At Heirs Energies Leadership Forum, Oil and Gas Leaders Unite to Drive Nigeria’s Oil Production Growth
The dialogue affirmed Nigeria’s commitment to increasing production,while maintaining environmental responsibility and leveraging gas as a transition fuel.
▪︎HEIRS ENERGIES LEADERSHIP FORUM 2025:
L-R: CCE, NUPRC, Engr. Gbenga Komolafe; CEO, Heirs Energies, Osa Igiehon; Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri; Founder/Chairman, Heirs Holdings and Chairman Heirs Energies, Tony O. Elumelu, CFR; OPEC Board of Governors Chairman for Nigeria & CEO, First E&P, Ademola Adeyemi-Bero; CEO, Seplat Energy, Roger Brown and Executive Vice President, Upstream, NNPC Limited, Udobong Ntia, at the Heirs Energies’ Nigeria Petroleum Industry Discourse which held at the Transcorp Hilton Abuja.
Heirs Energies, Africa’s fastest growing indigenous integrated energy company, hosted its inaugural Petroleum Industry Leadership Dialogue at the Transcorp Hilton Abuja, bringing together public and private sector leaders to accelerateNigeria’s production growth.
Heirs Holdings’ subsidiary, Heirs Energies, convened the forum, moderated by CEO of Heirs Energies, Osayande Igiehon, and which featured distinguished speakers including the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri; Chief Commission Executive, NUPRC, Engr. Gbenga Komolafe; Chairman, OPEC Board of Governors and CEO, First E&P, Adewale Adeyemo-Bero; Executive Vice-President Upstream, NNPC Limited, Udobong Ntia and CEO of Seplat Energy Plc, Roger Brown.
With a new administration and ambitious targets for production critical for Nigeria’s economic growth, the Dialogue provided a timely venue for private and public sectors to continue the successful interaction, that has already seen Nigeria crude production grow by 25%, since May 2023.
The speakers highlighted how a series of Presidential Executive Orders had radically reshaped the operating environment and catalysed industry growth.
Indigenous oil and gas companies were now responsible for more than 60% of Nigeria’s crude output and the successful indigenisation programme was delivering a bold new chapter in Nigeria’s natural resources history.
Tony Elumelu, Founder and Chairman of Heirs Holdings and Chairman of Heirs Energies, in his opening remarks, paid tribute to the catalytic role that current government had played in reinvigorating the sector.
Mr Elumelu also set out Heirs Holdings’ vision of transforming Africa’s energy landscape, through indigenous leadership and sustainable development.
Heirs Energies, in just four years, had rapidly grown its production from 21,000 to over 50,000 barrels per day of hydrocarbon.
Mr Elumelu also welcomed both public and private sector guests, emphasising the strong spirit of collaboration that underscored the successful indigenisation:
“Production growth, ambitious and sustained, is our shared national mission. I am honoured that Heirs Energies is bringing together distinguished peers from the industry and our partners in government.
As an investor not just in resources, but in Nigeria’s power production and distribution sectors, all of us, need to come together to ensure Nigerians get the benefits of our resources.
As we build Africa’s largest integrated energy business, innovation and collaboration are central to our execution”.
The dialogue affirmed Nigeria’s commitment to increasing production,while maintaining environmental responsibility and leveraging gas as a transition fuel.
Speaking at the forum, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri, applauded Heirs Energies for hosting this inaugural event.
Indigenous oil and gas companies were now responsible for more than 60% of Nigeria’s crude output and the successful indigenisation programme was delivering a bold new chapter in Nigeria’s natural resources history.
“Let me express our gratitude to Heirs Energies for providing this platform for meaningful industry engagement.”
The Minister announced Nigeria’s oil production had reached 1.8 million barrels per day in January 2025 and set an ambitious target of 2.5 million barrels per day for 2025.
He also reaffirmed the administration’s “drill or drop” policy to accelerate production growth.
The Petroleum Industry Leadership Dialogue, which will become an annual event, brought together key stakeholders in the oil and gas industry, including MD of The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited, Osagie Okunbor; Managing Director of Aradel Holdings, Adegbite Falade and industry veteran and founder of Platform Petroleum & Managing Director A.A Holdings, Austin Avuru, among others.
NUPRC Chief Executive, Engr. Gbenga Komolafe, empahsised the dialogues significance in advancing the sectors objectives,
“I thank Heirs Energies for this beautiful initiative of putting together the Petroleum Industry Leadership Dialogue as a commitment to achieving our national objective in the upstream sector.”
He highlighted the surge in active drilling rigs to 38, with projections to reach 50 by March 2025.
OPEC Board of Governors Chairman for Nigeria and CEO, First E&P, Ademola Adeyemi-Bero, commended the forum’s timing, noting “It’s apt.
It’s early in the year and it’s about how we grow production.
That’s why you see all of us participating.” He shared how indigenous operators have successfully increased production, citing his company’s achievement of 57,000 barrels per day from previously untapped fields.Heirs Energies CEO, Osa Igiehon, reinforced this perspective, showcasing Heirs Energies’ impact in Nigeria’s onshore sector.
“Our success at Heirs Energies demonstrates what’s possible in Nigeria’s onshore sector, through our Brownfield Excellence Strategy, robust security measures, and genuine community partnership,” he said.
“By tripling our producing wells to over 100, we’ve shown how indigenous operators can efficiently unlock value while ensuring sustainable development of host communities.
“The Petroleum Industry Leadership Dialogue also exemplified Heirs Energies’ commitment to Mr Elumelu’s Africapitalism, the private sector’s transformative role in driving Africa’s economic and social development through strategic, long-term investments hinged on partnership and collaboration.
Heirs Energies Limited is Africa’s leading indigenous-owned integrated energy company, committed to meeting Africa’s unique energy needs while aligning with global sustainability goals.
With a strong focus on innovation, environmental responsibility, and community development, Heirs Energies leads in the evolving energy landscape and contributes to a more prosperous Africa.
Heirs Energies is a key implementor of Heirs Holdings integrated energy strategy, Africa’s largest integrated energy business, , whose objective is to ensure Africans benefit directly from their continent’s resources.
President Bola Tinubu has officially sworn in Professor Joash Amupitan as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The ceremony followed the Senate’s confirmation of Amupitan’s appointment last week after a rigorous screening session on October 16.
At the swearing-in, President Tinubu tasked Amupitan with safeguarding the integrity of Nigeria’s elections and strengthening INEC’s institutional capacity.
“As the chairman of INEC, your nomination and confirmation reflect the confidence reposed in you by both the executive and legislative arms of government. This marks the start of a challenging yet rewarding journey, and I trust you will approach your duties with integrity, dedication, and patriotism,” Tinubu said.
Highlighting Nigeria’s democratic progress over 25 years, the President emphasized the need for continuous innovation and reform to maintain free, fair, and credible elections. He urged Amupitan to ensure transparency and public trust throughout the entire electoral process—from voter registration and campaigning to voting and counting.
Amupitan, a professor of law and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), arrived at the State House on Thursday dressed in traditional white agbada and gold cap ahead of the formal ceremony. He was accompanied by presidential aides.
During his Senate screening, the 58-year-old nominee pledged to restore credibility to Nigeria’s electoral process by prioritizing reforms, including strengthening the Electoral Act to resolve inconsistencies in election timelines and enhance transparency.
“We must conduct elections where even the loser congratulates the winner fairly,” Amupitan told senators, emphasizing the need to rebuild voter confidence.
He also clarified his neutrality by denying any involvement in President Tinubu’s legal team during the 2023 Presidential Election Petitions Court, stating, “I never appeared before the Presidential Election Tribunal or the Supreme Court for any party.”
Amupitan succeeds Professor Mahmood Yakubu as the sixth substantive INEC chairman since the commission’s establishment. He is expected to immediately begin the transition process at INEC headquarters in Abuja following his swearing-in.
Profile
Born on April 25, 1967, the 58-year-old Amupitan hails from Ayetoro Gbede in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State. He is a Professor of Law at the University of Jos, Plateau State. He is also an alumnus of the university.
He specialises in Company Law, Law of Evidence, Corporate Governance and Privatisation Law. He became a Senior Advocate of Nigeria in September 2014.
After completing primary and secondary education, he attended Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin, from 1982 to 1984, and the University of Jos from 1984 to 1987. He was called to the bar in 1988.
Amupitan earned an LLM at UNIJOS in 1993 and a PhD in 2007, amid an academic career that began in 1989, following his National Youth Service at the Bauchi State Publishing Corporation in Bauchi from 1988 to 1989.
He currently serves as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) at the University of Jos, a position he holds in conjunction with being the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Joseph Ayo Babalola University in Osun State.
Among the academic positions he has held at UNIJOS are: Chairman of the Committee of Deans and Directors (2012-2014); Dean of the Faculty of Law (2008-2014); and Head of Public Law (2006-2008).
Outside of academics, Amupitan serves as a board member of Integrated Dairies Limited in Vom, a member of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies Governing Council, and a member of the Council of Legal Education (2008-2014), among other roles. He was a board member of Riss Oil Limited, Abuja(1996-2004).
Amupitan is the author of many books on law, such as Corporate Governance: Models and Principles(2008); Documentary Evidence in Nigeria (2008); Evidence Law: Theory and Practice in Nigeria(2013), Principles of Company Law(2013) and an Introduction to the Law of Trust in Nigeria (2014).
He is married and has four children.
Dangote Group has denied owning the truck that crushed a pregnant woman, a child, and six others to death in an accident in Akungba-Akoko, Akoko South-West Local Government Area of Ondo State.
The company issued the clarification in a statement on its X account on Wednesday.
The statement followed reports that a cement-laden truck suffered brake failure and rammed into traders and other road users.
Reacting, Dangote Group said the truck involved in the tragic incident does not belong to the group or any of its subsidiaries.
It added that vehicle registration records confirm the truck is owned and operated by an independent logistics company with no affiliation to Dangote Group.
“Dangote Group has refuted reports circulating on social media and in some online platforms linking it to a truck involved in a road accident in Akungba-Akoko, Akoko South-West Local Government Area of Ondo State.
“The company wishes to make it categorically clear that the truck involved in the unfortunate incident does not belong to Dangote Group or any of its subsidiaries.
“Verified vehicle registration details confirm that the truck with Plate No. JJJ 365 XB is owned and operated by an independent logistics company with no affiliation to Dangote Group,” the statement reads.
News
VIDEO: Sowore Arrested at Federal High Court Premises, Abuja, After Meeting Nnamdi Kanu.
“The commissioner of police said we should bring you to the office,” the policeman said.
Police operatives have arrested former presidential candidate and human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore, in Abuja, the nation’s capital.
Sowore was forcibly taken away by armed police officers from the Federal High Court premises in Abuja on Thursday, October 23, 2025, shortly after attending the court session of detained IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu.
Sowore, who has been leading campaigns for Kanu’s release, was confronted by security operatives who insisted he accompany them to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command.
Eyewitnesses disclosed that the officers surrounded him moments after he exited the courtroom, refusing to disclose specific details about his alleged offence.
When questioned by onlookers, one of the policemen stated that they were acting on the directive of the FCT Commissioner of Police.
“The commissioner of police said we should bring you to the office,” the policeman said.
As of the time of filing this report, the reason for Sowore’s arrest and his current whereabouts remain unclear.
Credit: Punch
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