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NNPC Ltd, Algeria’s Sonatrach Ink MoU for Research, Innovation

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The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd), through its Research, Technology and Innovation (RTI) Division, in collaboration with the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Sonatrach, the Algerian National Oil Company, for cooperation in research, development, and innovation.

The agreement, signed by NNPC Ltd’s Executive Vice President, Business Services, Sophia Mbakwe, and Sonatrach’s Managing Director, Khodjah Mohamed, establishes a formal framework for joint work in research and technology exchange between the two national oil companies.

This was contained in the press statement issued on Thursday by Chief Corporate Communications Officer Mr. Andy Odeh.

According to the statement, the agreement, held during the opening ceremony of the 3rd Meeting of the African Petroleum Producers’ Organization (APPO) Forum for R&D Directors at the PTDF Tower in Abuja, Nigeria, brought together research and development directors from APPO member countries.

Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, represented by former Secretary General of APPO, Omar Farouk Ibrahim, said the forum was one of four measures introduced by APPO to address challenges from the global energy transition, which center on funding, technology, and markets.

“The R&D forum tackles technology and expertise needs, the African Energy Bank addresses funding constraints, and the Central African Pipeline System supports regional oil and gas market integration,” Lokpobiri stated.

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Earlier in his remarks, Group Chief Executive Officer, NNPC Limited, Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari, represented by the Company’s Chief Financial Officer, Adedapo Segun, said research and development must form a central part of the overall strategy in the African oil and gas industry.

He called for research and development centres to function as engines of industrial competitiveness. “Collaboration in research and development is of strategic importance. The cost of innovation might be high, but the cost of obsolescence would be greater,” he stressed.

Ojulari called for a unified strategic framework through which resources could be pooled, data integrated, and risks shared across member countries.

He further urged the rapid adoption of digital technologies, artificial intelligence, and advanced engineering to improve upstream, midstream, and downstream operations.

On his part, the APPO Secretary General, Farid Ghezali, urged African petroleum-producing countries to ensure research in the oil and gas sector produced solutions that are practical and directly relevant to the continent. “We must ensure that our research delivers solutions that are practical and of direct use to Africa,” he stated.

Also speaking, the Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), Prof. Shu’aibu Shehu Aliyu, highlighted the value of the partnership between NNPC Limited and PTDF in supporting decarbonization and environmental protection efforts across APPO member countries.

Chief Innovation Officer of NNPC Research, Technology and Innovation and incoming Chairman of the APPO R&D Directors Forum, Rasheed Ojulari, said the forum would give immediate priority to joint programs in the core areas of upstream optimization, artificial intelligence, decarbonisation processes, and industrial systems development.

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NGX Market Cap Falls to ₦163.65trn As All-Share Index Drops

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The Nigerian equities market closed Friday’s trading session on a negative note, with the All-Share Index declining by 0.38 per cent to close at 252,113.41 points.

According to the Nigerian Exchange Group’s Daily Market Snapshot for Friday, September 25, 2026, equity market capitalisation stood at ₦163.65 trillion, representing a 0.01 per cent decline.

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The fixed-income market capitalisation also fell by 0.01 per cent to ₦58.74 trillion, while the market capitalisation of Exchange-Traded Products (ETPs) declined by 2.15 per cent to ₦57.77 billion.

Meanwhile, the top five gainers were led by a stock that rose 10 per cent to close at ₦17.60, followed by CMFC, which gained 9.76 per cent to ₦3.26. Briscoe rose 9.74 per cent to ₦10.70, ABC Transport gained 9.68 per cent to ₦5.10, while Royal Exchange increased by 9.09 per cent to ₦1.08.

The figures were contained in the NGX Daily Market Snapshot released at the close of trading on Friday.

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NCDMB Woos Chinese Manufacturers

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NCDMB Emerges Best MDA In Ease Of Doing Business Ranking

More than 100 Chinese original equipment manufacturers are being wooed for investment, technology and manufacturing capacity to aid growth in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) made the disclosure through its Director, Project Certification and Authorisation Division and Senior Technical Adviser to the Executive Secretary, Austin Uzoka.

This was detailed in a statement issued by the Board which stated that Uzoka was representing the Executive Secretary, Felix Ogbe, at the 15th China Shale Oil and Gas Summit in Chengdu, China, where he made the disclosure.

READ ALSO: NIPCO Moots $3bn Gas Project with Local Construction

According to Ogbe, the board was seeking to move the relationship between Nigerian oil and gas operators and Chinese manufacturers beyond the conventional buyer-seller model to investment, manufacturing, technology transfer and integration into global supply chains.

He said the Nigerian Oil and Gas Content Development Act (NOGCDA) guaranteed patronage for oil and gas equipment manufacturing facilities established in Nigeria, adding that such investments could also provide access to opportunities across the Gulf of Guinea.

“We are looking beyond the traditional buyer-seller relationship. What can we build together? We want Chinese companies to see Nigeria not simply as a market for their products, but as a strategic investment destination, a platform for manufacturing and technology development, and a gateway to opportunities across the wider African market,” he said.

He highlighted the Nigerian Oil and Gas Park Scheme (NOGPS) as a platform for Chinese original equipment manufacturers to establish manufacturing, assembly and service operations in Nigeria.

He said the scheme would provide opportunities for technology transfer, technical arrangements and the integration of Nigerian businesses into the supply chains of Chinese companies.

The ES also identified China’s capabilities in manufacturing, engineering, technology and energy infrastructure as areas that could support Nigeria’s industrial development.

“China has developed tremendous capabilities in manufacturing, engineering, technology and energy infrastructure. We want to explore how those capabilities can be connected with the opportunities that exist in Nigeria, for mutual benefits,” he added.

Nigeria’s local content policy had evolved from increasing Nigerian participation in oil and gas projects to a broader industrial development agenda focused on manufacturing, technology ownership and global competitiveness, he pointed out.

“Nigeria’s local content journey has evolved significantly since the local content law was enacted in 2010. What began primarily as an effort to increase Nigerian participation in the oil and gas industry has developed into a broader industrial development agenda focused on building capabilities, deepening manufacturing, promoting technology ownership and positioning Nigerian businesses to compete within regional and global markets,” he observed.

The engagement formed part of Nigeria’s participation in the 15th China Shale Oil and Gas Summit, held from September 20 to 23 at the Chengdu Century City International Conference Centre.

The summit, themed ‘Empowering Efficient and Green Development via Intelligent Technologies, Innovating to Lead the Shale Oil and Gas Revolution’, provided a platform for Nigerian oil and gas stakeholders to showcase investment opportunities in manufacturing, technology and oil and gas services.

According to the NCDMB, several Chinese OEMs expressed interest in exploring business relationships with Nigerian companies and participating in the country’s growing oil and gas manufacturing ecosystem.

In her closing remarks, the General Manager, Midstream, PCAD, Ms Lekoma Phimia, urged stakeholders to build on the connections established at the session to develop commercially viable and sustainable business relationships.

The NCDMB also used the exhibition to provide prospective investors and industry players with information on Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, local content opportunities and avenues for establishing operations in the country.

The board said the Chengdu engagement was part of efforts to expand Nigeria’s international industrial connections and advance the objectives of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act (NOGICDA).

It added that its focus was to move the local content agenda from participation to capability, manufacturing, and ultimately technology ownership and regional competitiveness.

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NIPCO Moots $3bn Gas Project with Local Construction

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NIPCO Group has announced plans to develop a Floating Liquefied Natural Gas (FLNG) project in Nigeria, with the proposed development estimated to require more than $3bn in investment.

This statement was made at a press conference on Thursday by the Managing Director of NIPCO Group, Nagendra Verma, who said the proposed project would have an envisaged LNG production capacity of approximately three million tonnes per annum, subject to the outcome of feasibility studies, regulatory approvals and a final investment decision.

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Verma said the project, which would mark NIPCO’s entry into the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) sector, was being considered for locations in the Escravos area of Delta State and the Akwa Ibom region.

“This proposed development is envisaged to comprise an FLNG facility along with associated marine and export infrastructure with the potential to serve both the international LNG market and growing domestic LNG demand in Nigeria. The proposed project is presently envisaged to produce LNG unified LNG of approximately 3 million L per annum, 3 million metric tons per annum. The proposed development is expected to represent a significant investment currently estimated in excess of $3bn.

“The final location shall be determined subsequent to the ongoing feasibility study. We are looking at strategic locations that will facilitate access to upstream gas resources, LNG processing, marine transportation and both international and domestic markets,” he said.

According to him, NIPCO had been evaluating the proposed FLNG project for the past six to nine months and was currently undertaking preliminary technical, commercial and feasibility assessments.

“We are considering various development concepts, technology solutions, financing structures and commercial options with a view to establishing a technically robust and commercially sustainable project,” Verma said.

He said the proposed development would comprise an FLNG facility alongside associated marine and export infrastructure, with the potential to serve international LNG markets as well as Nigeria’s growing domestic gas demand.

“The project is presently envisaged to have an LNG production capacity of approximately three million tonnes per annum.

“However, this remains subject to the outcome of the ongoing feasibility and technical studies, project economics, regulatory approvals and final investment decisions,” he said.

Verma said NIPCO was also evaluating the shipping and logistics infrastructure required to support both export and domestic LNG supply.

The Managing Director said the ongoing assessment covers upstream gas supply and reserves, FLNG technology and configuration, LNG production capacity, marine and export infrastructure, domestic LNG supply opportunities, shipping and logistics requirements, project economics and financing structure.

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