Mrs. Olajumoke Ajayi, President of NAPE
…Petroleum now serves as a major source of government revenue, foreign exchange and industrial development.
-Felix Douglas
The President of Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE), Mrs. Olajumoke Ajayi, called for increased exploration, accelerated development of commercially viable discoveries and stronger local technological capacity to boost Nigeria’s energy security and sustain growth in the upstream petroleum industry.
Ajayi made this statement at NAPE Pre-conference which was organized as a precursor to its main conference that will be held early in November.
She made the call ahead of its 44th Annual International Conference and Exhibition, where industry stakeholders examined strategies for translating Nigeria’s petroleum resources into reliable energy supply, economic value and long-term national security.
The Pre-conference, themed “Navigating Nigeria’s Upstream Future: Exploration and Development Approaches vs. Energy Security Demand,” focused on the need to strengthen reserve replenishment, optimise existing assets and attract investments into the country’s upstream sector.
Ajayi noted that Nigeria’s economic structure had evolved significantly from the era when cash crops such as cocoa, groundnuts and palm produce dominated export earnings, with petroleum now serving as a major source of government revenue, foreign exchange and industrial development.
According to the NAPE President, the strength of Nigeria’s upstream industry remains central to the country’s energy security as sustained production, domestic energy supply and investment depend largely on the resources discovered and developed.
She stressed that exploration must remain a strategic priority, alongside the optimisation of existing assets and timely development of commercially viable discoveries, to ensure sustainable production and meet the country’s growing energy needs.
Ajayi also highlighted the importance of emerging technologies, including advanced geoscience, seismic interpretation, reservoir characterisation, data analytics and artificial intelligence, in improving decision-making, reducing exploration uncertainty and enhancing operational efficiency.
However, NAPE as an industry Association emphasised that Nigeria must develop capacity to deploy these technologies locally, urging greater participation by Nigerian professionals, indigenous operators, service companies and research institutions in advancing the industry.
The NAPE President noted that building local capabilities would be critical to ensuring that the benefits of technological advancement translate into improved operational performance, stronger indigenous participation and sustainable industry growth.
Ajayi further observed that technical potential alone was insufficient to guarantee investment, explaining that investors also required credible opportunities, predictable fiscal and regulatory frameworks, effective governance, adequate infrastructure and confidence in project execution.
These factors, she said, must form part of broader efforts to grow Nigeria’s petroleum reserves, strengthen production capacity and improve energy security.
She urged participants at the workshop to move beyond identifying industry challenges and focus on practical solutions, clear implementation strategies and measurable outcomes.
NAPE reaffirmed its commitment to facilitating technical exchanges and informed dialogue amonggeoscientists, engineers, operators, regulators, investors, technology providers, academics and emerging professionals to advance Nigeria’s upstream industry.
The workshop would also contribute to discussions at its forthcoming 44th Annual International Conference and Exhibition, themed “Unlocking More Barrels: Driving Reserves Growth through Exploration, Local Capabilities and Adaptive Technology.”
The workshop will produce a comprehensive communiqué outlining specific actions, responsible institutions and measurable priorities for implementation.
NAPE encouraged participants to ensure that their contributions were rigorous, practical and relevant to the decisions required to move the industry forward.
The NAPE President congratulated workshop sponsor, Energia Limited, on the celebration of its 25th anniversary, recognising the milestone as an important occasion for the company.
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