Uche Cecil Izuora
Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil); Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, and
Rt. Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas) have been confirmed as key speakers at the 2025 national conference of the Association of Energy Correspondents of Nigeria (NAEC).
The speakers would on Thursday October 9, 2025, form part of high profile stakeholders in the Nigerian oil & gas, power, mines, steel and solid minerals sectors including ministers, regulators for the summit.
Other confirmed speakers include, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, Minister of Power; Engr. Gbenga Komolafe, Chief Executive, Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC); Engr. Farouk Ahmed, Chief Executive, Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority; and Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari, GCEO of the NNPC Limited, among others.
A statement jointly signed by Mr. Ugo Amadi, NAEC Chairman, and Dr. Adeola Yusuf, Chairman, Conference Planning Committee, said the theme of the conference is “Nigeria’s Energy Future: Exploring Opportunities and Addressing Risks for Sustainable Growth.”
According to the statement, the confirmed speakers include Lokpobiri, Ekpo, Adelabu, Komolafe, Ahmed, and Ojulari, who will be presenting special keynote addresses and goodwill messages to set the tone of discussions at the event.
The Association also announced that Dr. Uche Ogah, President of Masters Energy Group, will serve as the Conference Chairman.
The organisers explained that the 2025 edition of the annual NAEC ENERGY CONFERENCE will bring together policymakers, regulators, operators, and stakeholders across the oil, gas, and power sectors for robust discussions on the future of Nigeria’s energy industry.
According to the programme schedule, the conference will have three panel sessions coming up immediately after the opening ceremony.
The first panel session will centre around the upstream sector of the petroleum industry, with the topic, “Actualising Nigeria’s Energy Future: Optimizing opportunities and investments for Oil and Gas Production Growth.”
The second panel session focuses on trends in the oil refining, gas processing, product marketing and distribution space, with the topic, “Driving Sustainable Energy Future through Investment In Midstream and Downstream Infrastructure.”
Also, the third and last panel session will look at issues in the power generation, transmission and distribution segments as well as renewable energy penetration under the topic, “Unlocking Power Sector Potential: Infrastructure, Investment, and Innovation for Sustainable Future.”
Interestingly, for the first time in its history, NAEC has also announced that the 2025 conference will feature the maiden ‘NAEC Industry Awards’, with a streamlined format that will have only five merit categories and winners,
Providing further details on the maiden NAEC Industry awards, Amadi noted that the process will be guided by a clear methodology coordinated by veteran energy editors, while the nomination and voting process will be open to industry players via the NAEC website.
“This year’s event is unique because we are introducing a clear methodology for selecting nominees, which will be coordinated by veteran energy editors. More importantly, the awards process will be open to the industry stakeholders for both nominations and voting through the NAEC website, ensuring inclusiveness, transparency, and credibility,” Amadi said.
According to him, the move reflects NAEC’s commitment to promoting accountability and inclusivity in the sector, giving professionals and citizens alike the opportunity to actively recognize excellence within the industry.
On his part, Yusuf noted that the NAEC Conference has built a strong reputation as one of Nigeria’s most respected platforms for policy dialogue, knowledge exchange, and networking.
He added that this year’s innovation in the awards segment will set a new benchmark for transparency and industry recognition.
He confirmed that registration for the conference is now open via NAEC’s official website.
Yusuf, however, disclosed that the 2025 edition will also feature a pre-conference workshop for NAEC members, sponsored by a leading Nigerian energy company, before the end of this month.
Other expected dignitaries to drive robust conversations on Nigeria’s energy future include: Engr. Felix Ogbe, Executive Secretary, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB); Dr. Orji Ogbonnaya Orji, Executive Secretary, Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI); Engr. Chichi Emenike, Acting MD/Gas Asset Manager, Neconde Energy Limited; Engr. Ed Ubong, Coordinating Director, Decade of Gas Programme; and Engr. Tony Attah, MD/CEO, Renaissance.
Others are Dr Chris Offokansi, Offokansi, Head of Industrial Relations and Resources, Sterling Oil Exploration and Energy Production Company Limited (SEEPCO); Suresh Kumar, MD, NIPCO; Ademola Adeyemi-Bero, MD/CEO, FIRST E&P; Mr. Adegbite Falade, MD. Aradel Holdings Plc; Mrs. Moroti Adedoyin-Adeyinka, Executive Director, Sahara Group; Dr. Alex Irune, CEO, Oando Energy Resources; and Folake Soetan, MD/CEO, Ikeja Electric.
Also on the discussion rosters are: Mr. Akachukwu Nwokedi, President, Nigerian Gas Association (NGA); Dr. Gabriel Ogbechie, Group Managing Director, Rainoil Limited; Ogbemi Ofuya, Group CEO, Axxela Group; Mrs. Rekhiat Momoh, MD/CEO, EKEDC; Johnbosco Uche, President, Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE); and Dr. Phillip Mshelbila, CEO, NLNG.
Equally amongst the top list of speakers are Engr. Wole Ogunsanya, Chairman, Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN;) Engr. Osa Igiehon, CEO, Heirs Energies Ltd; Engr. Jennifer Adighije, MD/CEO, Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC); Mokhtar Bounour, MD/CEO, Egbin Power Plc; Mr. Abba Aliyu, MD, Rural Electrification Agency (REA); and Mr. Clement Isong, CEO, Major Energies Association of Nigeria (MEMAN).