All is set for the official opening of the Nigeria International Energy Summit (NIES) 2026 in Abuja on Tuesday, as policymakers, investors, and energy experts from across the globe converge on Nigeria’s capital city.
NIES is the federal government’s official annual energy event and is widely regarded as Africa’s premier platform for energy policy dialogue, investment promotion, and innovation.
This year’s summit, themed “Energy for Peace and Progress: Securing Our Shared Future,” is scheduled to run from 2 to 5 February. The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) is the national sponsor of the event.
According to the organisers, NIES provides a global platform for high-level discussions, strategic partnerships, and the signing of major energy deals.
The summit brings together governments, national and international oil companies, investors, and service providers to shape the future of Africa’s energy landscape.
President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima are expected to officially declare the event open on Tuesday. As at the time of filing this report, hundreds of delegates and top dignitaries across the oil and gas sectors are present at the banquet hall of the state house.
The conference comes at a critical time as Nigeria intensifies efforts to revamp its energy sector by leveraging its vast hydrocarbon and renewable resources to achieve energy security, economic growth, and sustainable development.
Under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, ongoing reforms are aimed at attracting investment, boosting investor confidence, expanding access to energy, and accelerating the transition to cleaner energy sources. Key policy drivers include the Electricity Act 2023, the Energy Transition Plan (ETP)—which targets net-zero emissions by 2060—and increased investments in the gas sector.
Organisers said the 2026 edition of NIES is expected to host more than 5,000 participants from 38 countries. Several African presidents and heads of state are also expected to attend the opening ceremony alongside President Tinubu at the opening gala scheduled to be held at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Confirmed dignitaries expected at the summit include President Adama Barrow of The Gambia, President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea, and the Secretary-General of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Haitham Al Ghais, among others.
Meanwhile, the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Ltd, Bashir Ojulari, is expected to join chief executives of leading oil and gas companies and industry partners in a high-level conversation focused on mega investments, integrated energy strategies, and pathways to national industrial and energy security.
