Minister of State Petroleum Resources (Gas), Rt. Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo, yesterday, hosted the Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources of South Africa, Mr. Gwede Mantashe, to high-level bilateral talks aimed at deepening collaboration between both countries in the petroleum sector.
The meeting, held at the Minister’s office in NNPC Towers, Abuja, was attended by the acting Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Mr Usman Abdulkadir; South African High Commissioner to Nigeria, Lesohi Makhele; and the CEO of South Africa National Petroleum Company (SANPC), Godfrey Moagi among other top officials.
During the discussion, Mantashe emphasized South Africa’s growing interest in fully integrating into the oil and gas industry, citing recent improvements in the country’s gas storage and utilization capabilities.
He noted that South Africa is particularly keen on importing Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) from Nigeria, while also exploring opportunities for knowledge exchange and capacity building.
He proposed the establishment of an exchange programme focused on skills development and technology transfer between both countries.
In response, Ekpo welcomed the partnership and expressed optimism about the prospects for mutual benefit.
However, he emphasized the need for the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) to be fully involved in any future agreements, given its strategic role in the country’s oil and gas operations.
The two parties reached a mutual understanding to bolster bilateral ties and fast-track energy cooperation, with emphasis on LPG trading, technical collaborations, and joint initiatives.