Minister of Petroleum, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, and Minister of State for Petroleum (Gas), Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo, appeared before the National Assembly on Friday for the 2025 budget defense session.
The session was marked by disruptions as lawmakers expressed frustration over the absence of budget documents prior to the meeting. Tensions increased during Senator Lokpobiri’s presentation, with one lawmaker directly confronting Hon. Ekpo about the oversight.
In response, Senator Lokpobiri apologized for the delay, calling it unintentional and emphasizing the ministry’s dedication to working collaboratively with the National Assembly.
During his presentation, Hon. Ekpo highlighted key initiatives aimed at addressing explosions in the petroleum sector and promoting Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) as a cleaner energy alternative.
He disclosed that ₦222 billion had been allocated to six companies for enhancing midstream and downstream infrastructure, facilitating nationwide CNG adoption.
The proposed 2025 budget for the Ministry of Petroleum Resources stands at ₦4.25 billion, allocated across personnel, overhead, and capital expenditures. The session also reviewed the ministry’s 2024 budget performance, which included reforms such as promoting modular refineries and initiatives to strengthen local refining capacity.
