Nigeria’s oil and gas sector is undergoing a significant transformation, driven by growing indigenous participation, increased investment and the expansion of domestic refining capacity. Petroleum engineer Ogbidi said the country has enormous resources, a strong domestic market and growing indigenous capacity that could help reposition the industry.
He noted that the acquisition of major assets previously operated by international oil companies by indigenous firms, alongside the expansion of the Dangote Refinery, was bringing more of the industry’s value chain under local participation. According to him, Nigeria must build on the momentum by increasing crude production, developing its vast gas resources, improving infrastructure and deploying technology to make operations more efficient and sustainable.
Ogbidi said getting the investment climate and government policies right would be critical to enabling Nigeria to move beyond being predominantly a crude producer and become a more integrated energy and industrial economy.
He also described the planned October initial public offering of the Dangote Refinery as a significant development for the oil and gas sector. He said listing the refinery would create opportunities for broader participation in one of Nigeria’s most important energy assets while potentially improving transparency, corporate governance and market discipline.
According to him, a successful IPO could also send a positive signal to local and international investors about the growing maturity of Nigeria’s energy sector. He added that it could encourage more energy companies to access the capital market and deepen investment across the country’s energy value chain.
Ogbidi, who holds an MSc in Petroleum Engineering from Heriot-Watt University, said his decision to specialise in reservoir engineering was driven by his passion for the energy industry and the desire to deepen his technical expertise. His academic training exposed him to reservoir simulation, enhanced oil recovery and production optimisation, which he said were essential to addressing real-world challenges in the industry.
He recalled a pivotal experience at Heriot-Watt involving a group project on reservoir simulation for a complex North Sea offshore field. Working with limited data and conflicting interpretations, he led the initial phase of the project as a geological subsurface modeller, applying probabilistic modelling and sensitivity analysis to quantify uncertainty while considering economic factors in technical decisions.
Meanwhile, For young engineers, Ogbidi advised that a master’s degree should be viewed as more than an academic qualification. He urged them to embrace continuous learning, particularly as digitalisation and the energy transition reshape the industry. He said his personal philosophy is to seize every opportunity, give each one his best and embrace every experience, noting that consistent effort ultimately shapes an individual’s skills, resilience, character and leadership.
