Oil & Gas
Olu of Warri , Kings Good Hosts of Niger Delta Crude Oil Bearing Communities
The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Lee Engineering & Construction Limited, Dr. Leemon Ikpea, who has been a major player in the oil and gas sector of the Nigerian economy for 46 years, has commended the good nature and behavior of some traditional rulers in the oil-bearing communities of Nigeria.
Singling out the Olu of Warri, Ogiamen Atuwase III, His Royal Majesty Pere Ayemi Botu and some Ovies in the Niger Delta Region of the country for their accommodation and cordial relations with oil companies operating in their communities.
Chief Ikpea, however, appealed to leaders and communities in the region, who are hostile to oil and gas companies in their domains to be more charitable and follow the good examples of the kings and people earlier mentioned saying, “Many Nigerians are very hardworking, they are equally very dedicated people, while majority of the Nigerian youths are ready to work, but if the work is not available and the environments where this work is available are hostile, it then becomes a problem, the country will invariably not prosper as expected.
That is why my advice to most communities where I find myself is to always tell them, that if they are lucky to find some people coming to invest and site their companies in their communities, the least that is expected of them is to cooperate with such company owners and the workers they bring to work in their communities. They are therefore to consider such an act as a rare blessing, which they should be grateful about. The Community leaders and the people should endeavor to work with such people to bring progress to their places. If this is done, the company’s management will be watching and noting developments in due course the company will be left with no other option than to give back to these host communities for all their assistance in helping them to grow.Sadly, in some communities in the Niger Delta Region, the hostility of the leaders and people in these communities usually prevents companies coming to set up in their areas because they don’t feel safe.
He continued, “I Chief Leemon Ikpea grew up in Warri. Warri in those good old days. While growing up in Warri as a young man, we had oil companies like MacDemond, alongside very many oil companies in Warri then. There were so many other activities going on in that City, but unfortunately, Warri unlike in the past is today an empty shadow of its old self. As we speak today, there is virtually nothing going on in Warri. For example, it is because I am a Warri boy, that is why I located my official base in Warri, just because I can’t run away from where, I grew up.
I must therefore seize this opportunity to thank His Royal Majesty, Ogiamen Atunwase III alongside other first class kings and Ovies in the Niger Delta Region for being such a wonderful host. I do have a very strong personal relationship with these kings. They have all been doing their very best to assist me and also help my outfits in their communities in doing their businesses effortlessly without any rift or rancur. This we are very grateful about. My appeal therefore, is for some leaders and communities in this same region to learn to co-operate with upcoming contractors trying to do business in their communities. My appeal is for them to cooperate with these young companies so that they also grow as we did. As most of the sponsors of these young companies are Nigerians they are not foreigners, even if they are foreigners, community leaders and their people need to learn to work with these people for them to grow and help develop their places. Nigerians want to give back to Nigerians and as such, it is unreasonable for Nigerians to be seen to be hostile to fellow Nigerians. Once we learn to show love to one another God’s blessings will surely follow.
On the Nigerian Senate investigating committee verdict, that commended him, for coming clean, not found wanting of any infractions in the N250 billion Naira Gas Expansion programme Fund Probe that was recently concluded, that gave a clean bill of health to Lee Engineering Company Limited, Chief Dr. Leemon Ikpea said, “My company and I, regard this verdict as a victory for the truth, integrity, industry and competence and an honour to all the genuine players in the Nigerian crude oil and gas industries. Dr. Ikpea in this exclusive interview, said, “I guess you know where we are coming from, as this is my 46 years in the Nigerian Crude oil and gas industry. We built the Warri Refinery in the early 70s, I was a Manager in that Refinery in 1984 when we were building the place. Not as a staff but as one of the major contractors that built that place. So, over the years, I have come to know and appreciate greatly what integrity is. I know what it is to be honest and hardworking. It is therefore usually very sad when some group of people for no justifiable reasons try to blackmail one, for selfish and malicious reasons, such an ungodly act gives one severe pains in the process.
He added, “Have you been to Lee Engineering facility in Warri? In that facility alone, we are taking care of more than four thousand people, multiply this number by three persons for example in a family, times this number that will give you on average about 12,000 people in one facility alone. I have over these years invested in this factory in Warri and I have spent more than over 100 million dollars in this place alone. At this point, we are at the completion stages of this particular factory. At some point in recent times, I discovered that we were short of funds. As expected I borrowed some money from my banks which is normal, as no business man or woman can survive without occasionally accessing some facilities from the banks. I therefore approached my banks and borrowed some money from them, I was therefore shocked and surprised when I saw an advertorial in the newspapers which included the name of Lee Engineering among the companies that allegedly borrowed money from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), which was not true. If you must know the truth, I have never done anything in my entire life with the CBN and I honestly do not know anybody up till this day in the CBN. I was therefore shocked when the name of my company was included alongside companies that allegedly borrowed money from the CBN. So, the Nigerian Senate Committee headed by Senator Agom Jarigbe, invited my company alongside other companies accused of these infractions, about a week or so ago to Abuja, I went to the place with all my staff, it was at that particular meeting that I told the members of the Senate Committee investigating this matter, to endeavor to go to Warri and see for themselves our little efforts, what we have been doing over the years in Warri. The committee members truly went to our facility in Warri and they were amazed at what they saw on the ground. I was not there with them as I was already out of the country on some other assignments when they came visiting our facility, as I just returned back to the country from Qatar on Tuesday, the 5th of December 2023. I was told by my staff, who were on the ground to receive them, that they were highly impressed.
Dr. Ikpea further stressed, “It is human nature to see petty jealousy and attempt to blackmail people, who are minding their daily businesses and doing their jobs to the best of their ability.
Dr. Ikpea said, “As far as I am concerned, there is absolutely nothing for anybody to be jealous about me. Or an attempt to shoot me down, as at today that I am speaking with you, I have done my little beat at helping the people and communities where I operate to the best of my ability. As a way of giving back to the communities where I operate as part of my company’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and as a way of thanking God, for his good gesture towards me, and to appreciate better the good God in his infinite wisdom has bestowed on me as Chief Leemon Ikpea, I have trained more than 50 doctorate degrees holders in various fields of endeavours. Most of these people I have never met in person and they are not my relatives or tribes men and women. Most of these people are already working. While two of these boys I trained are presently in the United States Marines corps serving the United States Government in whatever capacity they find themselves. Before taking up the responsibility of training these boys, who are today in the U.S. Marine Corps, I had never met them. I only saw their names on social media and that was how I took up the responsibility of training them. In the same spirit, I have again trained more than 200 students in various institutions across Nigeria. As we speak, so many people are enjoying my personal sponsorship and scholarships. Ditto for sick, fragile, and weak people especially elderly in the society. Men and women, who were in their sick beds at the point of death, which God used me to rescue and help to restore their health. Many of these people I sponsored their medical trips to India, Germany, London and the United State of America. As we speak and just recently, I paid for all the medical bills of an old man from Effurun Community in Delta State, he is presently in London taking treatment. This particular man was in the intensive care unit in a hospital in Port Harcourt when his people got in touch with me. These honestly are the things that give me immense joy as a person. I always want people to be happy through me, not unnecessary pettiness, jealousy and blackmail that some people get involved in that makes no meaning to me. This is why Chief Dr. Ikpea is different from most people.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Gas, Senator Agom Jarigbe, who headed the Senate panel that oversee how the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) intervention fund was disbursed and spent, in a personal letter dated, Tuesday, December 5th 2023, addressed to the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Lee Engineering and Construction Limited, declared that the committee found Chief Ikpea and his company not to have committed any infraction as far as the subject matter was concerned. This same letter commended Chief Ikpea for his immense contributions to the growth of the oil and gas industry of the country. Saying that Chief Ikpea’s zeal and development efforts need to be emulated by other companies in Nigeria.
The Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) said the role of legal practitioners is critical across the midstream and downstream energy business value chain in the promotion of optimal regulatory compliance.
Chief Executive, NMDPRA, Farouk Ahmed said this on Monday in Abuja at its 2025 General Counsel and Legal Advisers Forum for Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Companies in Nigeria.
The forum has its theme as ‘Advancing a Collaborative Compliance Culture in Nigeria’s Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Sectors’.
Ahmed was represented by Ogbugo Ukoha, Executive Director, Distribution System, Storage and Retailing Infrastructure, NMDPRA.
He said that the sector’s complexity required a unified compliance culture, rooted in robust and enabling legal frameworks, transparency, accountability and shared responsibility.
“The scope of operations of the sector covers hydrocarbon processing, wholesale marketing, transportation, storage, distribution and retail, and its complexity requires more than technical efficiency.
“The role of legal practitioners is critical across the midstream and downstream energy business value chain.
“They help to promote optimal regulatory compliance to set rules and standards of operations in our complex operational and volatile market environment,’’ he said.
Ahmed said that strategic and pragmatic solutions would be established from the forum to enhance performance of the sector towards creation of shared value for investors and the extensive market of Nigeria and the region.
He said that the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA 2021) had fundamentally restructured Nigeria’s petroleum industry by delineating regulatory responsibilities of the industry into the Upstream, midstream and downstream Petroleum operations.
According to him, the Act prescribed that all operations in the midstream and downstream sectors could only be conducted under appropriate licenses, permits and authorisations granted by the NMDPRA.
He said the PIA also mandated NMPDRA to make regulations concerning midstream and downstream petroleum operations in consultation with its licensees and stakeholders.
“As a result of the feedback received from our stakeholders on the need to strengthen regulatory compliance through simplified regulations, NMDPRA is implementing an inclusive stakeholder process of streamlining the gazetted and published regulations.
“This process will mitigate the complexities of navigating and implementing numerous regulations; eliminate inconsistencies and repetitions across multiple regulations; streamline regulatory processes for ease of business; and encourage investments in the industry.
“Kindly use this forum to critically review and make recommendations on the above.
This will enable us to improve the overall compliance of operators and the performance of the regulatory instruments (Legal frameworks and licenses) in the midstream and downstream sectors,” He said.
He said that NMDPRA would continue its commitment to effective stakeholder collaborations that would foster ease of doing business, investor confidence and sustainable operations.
Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu said that the PIA as a testament to the foresight and dedication of the National Assembly, had fundamentally reshaped Nigeria’s petroleum sector.
Kalu was represented by Ugochinyere Ikenga, Chairman, House Committee on Petroleum Resources, Downstream.
He said that the act had proven how strategic legislation could serve as a potent catalyst for compliance, investment attraction, and robust sector growth.
“For the PIA to remain truly effective, adapting to a dynamic global energy landscape and addressing unforeseen challenges, there must be an institutionalised robust mechanism for its continuous refinement.
“This is precisely where the invaluable insights of our nation’s petroleum experts and our general counsels, the legal architects and navigators of this complex framework, become indispensable.
“For or further synchronisation and effective post-legislative scrutiny, we must actively solicit and integrate your concerns.
“We envision a future where the National Assembly’s specialised committees regularly invite you professionals to public hearings and dedicated technical working groups,” he said.
Kalu said that this proactive engagement would transform abstract legal principles into tangible operational realities, furnishing us with the real-world data and case studies needed to truly understand the PIA’s strengths and weaknesses.
“Your feedback will illuminate where the PIA might be technically challenging, where legal interpretations create bottlenecks, or where new global trends necessitate legislative evolution,’’ he said.
Torough David, Abuja
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has launched a global investment drive seeking attention to creating value in the upstream oil and gas industry.
The Organization is calling for urgent and sustained investment in the global upstream oil sector, warning that a cumulative $14.
9tn will be required between 2025 and 2050 to meet projected demand and prevent a future energy crisis.This investment figure, equivalent to $574bn annually, represents the bulk of the $18.2 trillion in total oil-related investments needed over the 25-year period.
The OPEC had projected that $18.2tn investment would be required to meet global oil demand between 2025 and 2050, as it dismissed the notion of a looming peak in fossil fuel consumption as a “fantasy.
”According to the 2025 World Oil Outlook of OPEC, oil demand is projected to rise from 103.7 million barrels per day in 2024 to 116.5 mb/d by 2045 and peaking at around 123 mb/d by 2050, an 18.6 per cent increase over 26 years.
It also noted the need for continued investments in various segments of the sector to meet this demand.
It noted that of the total investment requirement, upstream operations, including exploration and production, are expected to gulp the lion’s share at $14.9tn, or $574bn per year, as producers scramble to ramp up supply. Midstream and downstream investments will require $1.3tn and $2tn, respectively.
“Cumulative oil-related investment requirements to meet projected demand are assessed at $18.2tn over the period between 2025 and 2050.
“This is marginally higher than projected in the WOO 2024, as despite the outlook period being one year shorter, this Outlook has also seen long-term oil demand revised upwards, and liquids supply has followed.
“Total upstream investment requirements make up the bulk of the needed capital expenditure, now projected at $14.9tn, or $574bn per annum. Downstream and midstream investment requirements are projected at $2tn and $1.3tn, respectively,” the report said.
OPEC Secretary-General, Haitham Al Ghais, said continued investments are essential to guarantee future energy security and affordability, especially in the Global South.
“There is no peak oil demand on the horizon,” Al Ghais declared in the report’s foreword. “Efforts to rapidly phase out fossil fuels are unrealistic and disregard energy security, affordability, and socio-economic realities of billions still lacking basic energy access,” he said.
By David Torough, Abuja
In a renewed push to meet its OPEC production quota and 2025 budgetary targets, the Federal Government yesterday declared an end to the era where oil companies acquire field licenses and leave them dormant.
The government warned that it would no longer tolerate operators lacking the technical and financial capacity to develop oil fields, stressing that such licenses would be withdrawn.
Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri issued the warning at the ongoing 2025 Nigeria Oil and Gas Energy Week in Abuja.
Lokpobiri said the government was determined to maximize oil production by ensuring that only serious investors retain access to Nigeria’s hydrocarbon resources.
The conference had the theme: “Accelerating Energy Progress Through Investment, Global Partnerships and Innovation”.
Lokobiri stated that, “In our ongoing drive to boost national oil production, the Federal Government remains resolute in ensuring that maximum value is derived from upstream assets currently held by operators.
“This objective has taken on greater urgency as global financing for oil and gas projects continues to tighten, making it increasingly difficult for all operators to secure the capital needed to develop these assets.
“It is no longer acceptable for critical national resources to remain in the hands of companies that lack the technical or financial capacity to optimize them or worse, those who use such licenses merely as a lever to access scarce capital, only to divert it to unrelated ventures.
“Our oil and gas industry has witnessed far too many cautionary tales of this nature, and we must now draw a clear line”.
He said the government has engaged an international consultant to evaluate the 273 fees and rates faced by oil companies in the country to align them with international best practices.
Also, the Minister of State Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo said Nigeria had proven gas reserves of over 200 trillion cubic feet, yet value would only be created when resources were developed and utilised.
Ekpo said that through the Decade of Gas initiative, the country was focused on translating its vast gas wealth into tangible socio-economic benefits.
This, he said, included driving industrialisation, expanding power generation, increasing domestic Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) usage, deepening gas-to-transport adoption, and growing gas export capacity.
Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Ltd, Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari disclosed that the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) Gas Pipeline has successfully crossed the River Niger, boosting the hope of the project’s completion by Q4 2025.
Ojulari, who described the development as a significant milestone, said the feat was achieved through effective and innovative contract reengineering and industry collaboration.
He also disclosed that for the first time in a long while, the nation enjoyed 100% crude oil pipelines availability throughout June 2025.
He said the feat which was possible through the industry-wide security interventions led by the NNPC helped to boost crude oil production.
He however called for more investments to boost production, adding that NNPC Ltd has been able to turn the narrative around by consistently meeting its cash-call obligations to Joint Venture operations.
He said the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) has placed NNPC Ltd in a good position to live up to its responsibility of leading the industry in financing projects.
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