Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), has stated that Africa does not need loans but rather strategic partnerships and investments to address energy poverty and drive economic growth on the continent.
Lokpobiri spoke on Tuesday – yesterday, February 25 – in Abuja, at the 8th edition of the Nigeria International Energy Summit (NIES 2025), themed “Bridging Continents: Connecting Investors Worldwide with Africa’s Energy Potential.”
The minister said that the strategic policies of the federal government have proven Nigeria’s readiness for business.
“In January at Davos, I was on a panel with eight other ministers from different parts of the world and one of the ministers said that Europe has about 300 billion euros available for loans to Africa.
“I suggested to them that we don’t need loans, rather we need investments, we need partnerships. Invest and then make your returns instead of giving us loans.
“I can assure you that the world is ready to invest in Africa, the world has recognised that Africa has enormous resources, but these resources have no value unless we are able to bring them to the market,” Lokpobiri said.
According to him, Nigeria has shown readiness for business and that is why four major divestments that were pending before have been completed, adding that
Nigeria has developed or grown enormous local capacity, enabling indigenous companies to be acquiring assets with capacity to run these companies in a profitable manner.
“Nigeria has nothing to lose.
“No International Oil Company (IOC) is leaving Nigeria, all the IOCs cannot find a better location than Nigeria for business. They told me that Nigeria is still the best destination and they are firm in their commitment to say they are not leaving Nigeria.
“At the worst, they are leaving for deep offshore which is beyond the capacity of Independent Petroleum Producers Group (IPPG) members,” he said.
The minister disclosed that Nigeria would secure some investments in the next few months, adding that 20 billion dollars investments were on the way soon.
He called on Africans to unite in order to collectively provide solutions to the energy poverty problems bedevilling the continent.
“We have to collectively work together to ensure that we bridge the gap that exists in technology, in finance, among others,” the minister said.
In a similar vein, Dr Omar Ibrahim, Secretary-General, African Petroleum Producers’ Organisation (APPO) decried over dependence on foreign loans in Africa, explaining that it was in a bid by Africa to find solutions within and stop over dependence on foreign finance that informed APPO’s decision to partner with AfreximBank to establish the African Energy Bank (AEB), being headquartered in Nigeria.
“We are not against foreign finance, foreign technology and foreign markets, but to do our utmost best to address challenges by looking within first then go out only when internal possibilities are exhausted.
“The only way we can do this is to collaborate and pull resources together and then we will have all it takes to surmount our challenges.
“Today Nigeria, through the NNPC Ltd. is the highest contributor to the African Energy Bank fund,’’ he said.
The APPO Secretary General decried the fact that 600 million Africans still lack access to electricity, in spite of Africa exporting 75 per cent of the oil it produces and 45 percent of its gas.
The News Agency of Nigeria quoted Ibrahim as saying that if Africa must change for the better, for its teeming youth population, there is a need to critically question the thoughts of its leaders, including academia, media, politicians, military and industries.
