Photo caption from left: Chairman, Planning Committee, Nigeria Annual International Conference and Exhibition (NAICE) 2026, Capt. Aris John-Emezi; Secretary, Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Nigeria Council, Obianuju Igbokwe; Chairman, Francis Nwaochei; Vice Chairman, Etta Agbor; and Vice Chairman-elect, SPE Nigeria Council, Oladipo Ashafa during a press conference in Lagos to kick off SPE-NAICE 2026.
Summary
*adopt all measures that will ensure energy security and environmental sustainability
*Eliminate energy poverty
*NUPRC will go beyond oil blocks awards and encourage measures to ensure the blocks are put into production
*Independents should scale up proficiency in management and operations as IOCs focus on deepwater
* Government should genuinely commit to Domestic Crude Supply Obligations (DCSO) under the PIA, preserve market-based returns and contract sanctity for upstream producers
By Emeka Ugwuanyi
The Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Nigeria Council officially commenced activities for the 49th Nigeria Annual International Conference and Exhibition (NAICE 2026), taking place from August 3rd to 5th, 2026, at the Expo Centre, Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Delivering his speech during the media briefing, Chairman, SPE Nigeria Council (2025/2026), Engr. Francis Nwaochei, highlighted the importance of the conference and its impact on the economy and particularly the energy sector. He stressed the importance of eliminating energy poverty in Nigeria and entrenching energy security and sustainability for economic and industrial growth.
According to Nwaochei, this year’s theme, “Thriving in the Evolving Global Energy Landscape: Collaborative Growth and Resilience,” directly reflects the structural realities facing our sector today. Globally, investment flows, technology adoption, geopolitics, and decarbonization strategies are shifting rapidly. Energy security and environmental sustainability can no longer be treated as distinct agendas—they must advance in tandem.
“For Africa, resilience cannot be a passive defense against market volatility; it must be an active, competitive strategy. Our continent faces the dual imperative of eliminating energy poverty and accelerating industrial growth while managing environmental expectations. These goals cannot be achieved in silos. True resilience requires an integrated ecosystem where regulators, operators, service providers, technology developers, and financial institutions align to drive down unit operating costs, de-risk investments, and unlock capital.
Photo caption: SPE Nigeria Council logo
As a neutral, non-political technical body, SPE Nigeria Council provides the definitive platform to convert “these strategic imperatives into execution.”
- Translating Macro Realities: Licensing Rounds, Divestments & Domestic Refining
This press conference is coming at a transformative juncture for Nigeria’s energy architecture. Just last week, on July 21st, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) concluded its 2025 Licensing Round in Abuja, by awarding 37 oil and gas blocks across mature and frontier basins to 31 preferred bidders.
SPE Nigeria Council commends the Federal Government, the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, and the NUPRC for conducting an automated, market-driven process under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
NAICE 2026 will serve as the first major industry platform where the operational and commercial execution of these newly awarded assets will be decoded. Awarding blocks is only the catalyst; converting exploration licenses into daily producing volumes requires rapid technology deployment, reservoir precision, and disciplined capital mobilization. This directly supports Nigeria’s national target of achieving 3 million barrels per day (bpd) by 2030.
Concurrently, the ongoing portfolio rebalancing by International Oil Companies (IOCs) toward deepwater assets has placed indigenous independent operators at the center of domestic onshore and shallow-water production which is now accounting for roughly 60% of national supply. Indigenous companies must demonstrate both operational excellence and financial bankability as they assume asset stewardship, manage decommissioning liabilities, and drive field optimization.
In the downstream, the scaling of world-scale private refineries alongside modular facilities is turning Nigeria into a regional refining hub. Sustainable energy security requires commercial harmony: enforcing Domestic Crude Supply Obligations (DCSO) under the PIA while preserving market-based returns and contract sanctity for upstream producers.
2.Quotas, Capital Mobilization & Infrastructure Security
Reaching 3 million bpd by 2030 requires moving beyond recovering shut-in production to executing greenfield developments and subsea tie-backs. Where questions arise regarding OPEC+ quota ceilings, our technical position is clear: Nigeria must first build redundant, reliable production capacity.
Furthermore, expanding gas commercialization and maximizing condensate volumes which fall outside OPEC crude limits—provide immediate fiscal runway.
To fund these capital-intensive projects amid Western commercial bank pullbacks under ESG mandates, Africa is structuring its own financial solutions. The operationalization of the African Energy Bank (AEB) in Abuja, by September this year hopefully, alongside regional syndicates and private equity, provides a critical framework to secure energy sovereignty and capital access.
On infrastructure security, technical solutions—such as digital twin monitoring, fiber-optic pipeline surveillance, and automated metering—are essential technical safeguards. However, technology must operate alongside the Host Community Development Trusts established under the PIA to ensure lasting security across production corridors.
3.What to Expect at NAICE 2026: Program Highlights
NAICE 2026 offers a comprehensive, outcome-focused program:
- Pre-Conference Continuing Education: Specialized short courses delivered by global domain experts prior to the conference flag-off.
- Technical Program: Over 600 peer-reviewed technical papers and e-posters covering reservoir management, drilling engineering, AI integration, deepwater operations, and carbon capture.
- Executive Panel Sessions (Panels I & II): High-level dialogues focused on “Policy in Practice: Aligning Fiscal Strategy, Foreign Investment and Local Content for Sustainable Growth,” examining actual capital deployment under PIA incentives.
- Topical Issues Workshop: Dedicated to “The Expanding Role of Independents in Nigeria’s Upstream: Reimagining Ownership, Operations and Financing,” guiding indigenous operators on scaling bankable assets.
- International Exhibition: A showcase of digital energy tools, subsea technologies, and operational machinery from global and domestic service companies.
- Specialized Workshops & Mentorship:
- Young Professionals Workshop: Focused on “Collaborative Growth in the Energy Sector: How Young Professionals Can Drive Innovation and Competitiveness”.
- Women Leadership Programme: Centered on “Elevating Leadership through Empathy, Well-being and Human-Centered Decision-Making”.
- SPE Section Officers & Student Leadership Workshops: Strategic capacity-building sessions across African chapters.
4.Pragmatic Energy Transition & Carbon Competitiveness
SPE Nigeria Council maintains that Africa requires a pragmatic, just, and balanced energy transition. Hydrocarbons will remain vital to driving African industrialization, manufacturing, and grid stability for decades.
Concurrently, carbon competitiveness is now a commercial imperative. With international markets enforcing carbon border penalties, reducing emission intensity—by eliminating routine gas flaring, curbing fugitive methane, and electrifying remote assets—is essential to keep Nigerian crude competitive globally. Natural gas remains our vital transition fuel to power domestic growth and stabilize renewable energy integration.
Following the event, SPE Nigeria Council will synthesize technical insights from all sessions into an official Conference Communiqué submitted to government ministries, regulators, and corporate operators to guide evidence-based policy execution.
5. Closing Call to Action
“To our partners in the press, global investors, operators, service providers, researchers, and young engineers: NAICE 2026 is where Africa’s energy policy is converted into technical execution.
“We invite you to join us at the Expo Centre, Eko Hotel & Suites, Lagos, from August 3rd to 5th, 2026,” he added.
