Statement by HMS Oil at the Opening Ceremony of NIES 2026 at the State House
If we do not mobilize the appropriate resources to solve Africa’s energy challenges, our hardship will deepen as our population grows; the responsibility is ours and ours alone. It was this conviction that led to the establishment of the Africa Energy Bank (AEB), and as the host country, we have fulfilled our obligations in good faith and the next steps now lie with the promoters – APPO and Afreximbank – to set the process fully in motion.
While formally handing over the AEB Headquarters to the President of APPO, H.E. Mamadou Sangafowa Coulibaly, at a ceremony widely attended by APPO Ministers and representatives of Afreximbank, I emphasized that if Africa can retain even a proportion of what is currently spent on hydrocarbons within the continent, the resulting economic impact would be transformative. This highlights the imperative to support AEB to serve the entire continent, not only its 18 member nations.
I commend President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his consistent support toward the realization of Nigeria’s hosting rights for the Bank’s Headquarters in Abuja. I express strong optimism that, with the Bank headquartered in Nigeria, we will experience direct and lasting benefits from this historic milestone.
Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri Ph.D.
#RenewedHope #senlokpobiri #SHL #EnergyForToday #EnergyForTomorrow
