The Minister of Petroleum (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, and the Minister of State for Petroleum (Gas), Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo, attended the 2025 budget defence session at the National Assembly on Friday.
However, the session was marked by disruptions as lawmakers expressed frustration over the absence of budget documents before the meeting.
The tensions escalated during Senator Lokpobiri’s presentation, with one lawmaker directly confronting Hon. Ekpo over the oversight.
In response, Senator Lokpobiri apologised for the delay, describing it as unintentional and reaffirming the ministry’s commitment to working collaboratively with the National Assembly.
During his presentation, Hon. Ekpo outlined key initiatives, including the Federal Government’s efforts to curb explosions in the petroleum sector and promote Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) as a cleaner energy source.
He revealed that ₦222 billion had been allocated to six companies to enhance midstream and downstream infrastructure for nationwide CNG adoption.
The proposed 2025 budget for the Ministry of Petroleum Resources is ₦4.25 billion, allocated across personnel, overhead, and capital expenditures.
Additionally, the session reviewed the ministry’s 2024 budget performance, highlighting reforms in the oil and gas sector, such as the promotion of modular refineries and initiatives to boost local refining capacity.
