Digital Evolution Will Transform Energy Sector — Experts

Leading oil and gas experts in Nigeria have urged full adoption of digital technologies to address the complex challenges facing the country’s energy sector.

Their views were presented at the Press Week Lecture and Symposium organised by the Nigeria Union of Journalists and the News Agency of Nigeria Chapel in Lagos, themed “Transforming Energy: The Digital Evolution of Oil and Gas.”

Chairman of the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria, Wole Ogunsanya, represented by Vice Chairman Obi Uzu, noted that Nigeria’s crude oil output has risen to about 1.7 million barrels per day, with expectations of reaching 2 million barrels soon.

He said increased production could strengthen the naira and finance critical infrastructure projects such as nationwide railway networks, without resorting to excessive borrowing. Ogunsanya emphasised that oil earnings should be channelled into long-term development, citing Norway as a model for prudent savings and investment.

Also speaking, the Chief Executive of the Major Energies Marketers Association of Nigeria (MEMAN), Clement Isong, represented by Ogechi Nkwoji, highlighted the urgent need for digital adoption to enhance efficiency, cut costs, improve safety, and align with sustainability targets.

He warned that failures in the downstream sector directly disrupt hospitals, markets, and commerce, stressing that price volatility, fraud, and fuel losses linked to ageing infrastructure can be curtailed through tools like sensors, automation, and secure transaction systems.

According to Isong, technologies such as IoT-enabled forecourt automation, AI-powered pipeline leak detection, terminal automation, predictive maintenance, and blockchain-enabled transparency are essential to future-proof the sector. He noted that MEMAN members are already progressing toward digitalisation to improve safety, compliance, and productivity.

CEO of the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise, Dr. Muda Yusuf, added that Nigeria’s energy sector also requires urgent policy reforms to attract investment, diversify revenue, and create jobs. He said digitalisation is no longer optional but vital, particularly as investors now demand transparency and robust ESG compliance.

Energy law expert Dr. Ayodele Oni stressed the importance of technology for monitoring oil and gas assets and advocated expanding gas pipeline infrastructure to North Africa and Europe to reduce over-reliance on crude.

In the same vein, Sterling Oil Exploration & Energy Production Company’s Head of Corporate Communications, Aveek Biswas, said the firm has introduced digital platforms such as incident reporting tools, e-permits, and safety observation tracking systems to enhance transparency and operational compliance.