Heirs Energies holds leadership dialogue to boost Nigeria’s production growth

Heirs Energies has hosted its inaugural Petroleum Industry Leadership Dialogue in Abuja, bringing together public and private sector leaders to accelerate Nigeria’s production growth.

Heirs Holdings’ subsidiary, Heirs Energies, convened the forum, moderated by the CEO of Heirs Energies, Osayande Igiehon.

The event held over the weekend featured speakers including the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri; the Chief Commission Executive of NUPRC, Engr. Gbenga Komolafe; the Chairman of OPEC Board of Governors and CEO, First E&P, Adewale Adeyemo-Bero; the Executive Vice-President Upstream of NNPC Limited, Udobong Ntia; and the CEO of Seplat Energy Plc, Roger Brown.

The speakers highlighted how a series of Presidential Executive Orders reshaped the operating environment and catalysed industry growth.

Speaking at the event, the Founder and Chairman of Heirs Holdings, Tony Elumelu, highlighted the company’s vision of transforming Africa’s energy landscape, through indigenous leadership and sustainable development.

Elumelu said: “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.”

On his part, Lokpobiri commended Heirs Energies for hosting the event event, adding that 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 in 2025.

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The minister also reaffirmed the administration’s “drill or drop” policy to accelerate production growth.

Also speaking, Komolafe empahsised the dialogues significance in advancing the sectors objectives, saying: “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.

Adeyemi-Bero commendedthe 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 further shared how indigenous operators have increased production, citing his company’s achievement of 57,000 barrels per day from previously untapped fields.

Igiehon, on his part, stated: “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.

“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 Star