An energy communication researcher, Dr Adeola Yusuf, has called on President Bola Tinubu to demand strategic communication plans from oil producers and contractors, detailing phase-by-phase progress towards Nigeria’s three million barrels per day oil production target set for 2030.
 
Yusuf, who also serves as Team Lead of Platforms Africa, made the call during a plenary session at the just-concluded Nigeria International Energy Summit (NIES) 2026.

The session was attended by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, and the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Patience Oyekunle, among others.
 
Speaking on “Impact of Storytelling in Attracting Investment in Nigeria and Africa’s Energy Transformation,” Yusuf said research has shown that policies and projects supported by phase-by-phase strategic communication record higher success rates than those without deliberate communication structures.
 
He noted that Nigeria’s current per capita oil production would remain higher than projected 2030 levels even if the three million barrels per day target is achieved, stressing the urgency of strategic communication in rallying stakeholders to meet the goal.

MEANWHILE, Africa’s indigenous energy solutions provider, Oando Plc, has underscored the importance of collaborative leadership, disciplined capital structures, and risk management to sustain Africa’s upstream momentum and unlock financing for long-term energy development.
 
At the Nigeria International Energy Summit (NIES) 2026, the Managing Director of Oando Energy Resources, Dr Ainojie Alex Irune, and the General Manager of Commercial, Mr Akinbambo Ibidapo-Obe, participated in high-level discussions on upstream leadership and financing Africa’s energy future. They articulated a unified perspective on the importance of aligning policy, governance, and scale to attract investment.
 
Speaking at the Upstream Leadership Dialogue, Dr Irune said Africa’s upstream resurgence is no longer speculative, but the result of deliberate collaboration, innovation, and renewed confidence across the sector.
 
Irune said: “What many once viewed as a myth has become a tangible story. We are seeing new partnerships and a different approach to an industry that had been written off. The focus now must be on sustaining that momentum and unlocking the scale of opportunity ahead.”
 
He noted that while Nigeria’s upstream sector has strong technical capability, achieving national production ambitions will depend on access to capital that recognises the realities of upstream development.