Nigeria’s Minister of State for Petroleum Resources Oil, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, has called for stronger regional energy integration across Africa to address the continent’s $120 billion annual energy import bill.
Speaking at the Africa Oil Week (AOW) 2025 Ministerial and CEO Leadership Forum in Accra, Ghana, Lokpobiri emphasized that deepening regional collaboration is the most effective path to ending Africa’s energy poverty.
In a statement issued by his media aide, Nneamaka Okafor, the minister highlighted the importance of shared infrastructure, harmonized regulatory standards, and technical cooperation in securing the continent’s energy future. Lokpobiri argued that the key obstacle to investment is not capital availability, but the lack of regulatory alignment and fiscal stability across African countries.
As part of Nigeria’s strategic efforts, Lokpobiri announced the establishment of the West African Reference Market, a regional initiative which he said is designed to leverage Nigeria’s expanding refining capacity to supply petroleum products across West Africa and beyond.
