By Ahmed Ahmed
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), through its Research, Technology and Innovation (RTI) Division, in collaboration with the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Sonatrach to advance cooperation in research, development and innovation within the oil and gas sector.
The agreement was signed by Sophia Mbakwe, Executive Vice President, Business Services at NNPC Ltd, and Khodjah Mohamed, Managing Director of Sonatrach. It establishes a formal framework for joint research activities and technology exchange between the two national oil companies.
The signing recently took place during the opening ceremony of the 3rd Meeting of the African Petroleum Producers Organisation Forum for Research and Development (R&D) Directors at the PTDF Tower in Abuja. The forum brought together R&D directors from member countries of African Petroleum Producers Organisation (APPO).
The Honourable Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, represented by Omar Farouk Ibrahim, former Secretary-General of APPO, stated that the forum is one of four initiatives introduced by APPO to address challenges associated with the global energy transition, including funding, technology and market access.
According to him, the R&D forum is designed to address technology and expertise requirements, while the African Energy Bank is focused on funding constraints, and the Central African Pipeline System is intended to support regional integration of oil and gas markets.
The Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of NNPC Ltd, Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari, represented by Adedapo Segun, Chief Financial Officer of the company, stated that research and development should be central to the strategic direction of the African oil and gas industry.
According to a statement by Andy Odeh, Chief Corporate Communications Officer of NNPC Ltd, the GCEO emphasised the role of R&D centres in supporting industrial competitiveness and highlighted the importance of collaboration in advancing innovation across the sector.
He also called for the development of a unified strategic framework to enable resource pooling, data integration and risk sharing among member countries. He further highlighted the need for the adoption of digital technologies, artificial intelligence and advanced engineering solutions across upstream, midstream and downstream operations.
The Secretary General of APPO, Farid Ghezali, urged member countries to ensure that research outputs in the oil and gas sector are practical and directly applicable to the needs of the continent.
Also speaking, the Executive Secretary of PTDF, Shuaibu Shehu Aliyu, noted the role of collaboration between NNPC Ltd and PTDF in supporting decarbonisation efforts and environmental protection initiatives across APPO member states.
The Chief Innovation Officer of NNPC Research, Technology and Innovation and incoming Chairman of the APPO R&D Directors Forum, Rasheed Ojulari, stated that the forum will prioritise joint programmes in areas including upstream optimisation, artificial intelligence, decarbonisation processes and industrial systems development.
