ABUJA — Plans for a proposed U.S.-Nigeria Energy Summit gathered momentum on Tuesday as the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, called for a results-oriented energy partnership focused on attracting investment into Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.

Lokpobiri made the call while receiving a high-level delegation from the United States Department of Energy in Abuja to advance discussions on the proposed summit aimed at strengthening bilateral energy cooperation between Nigeria and the United States.

The delegation included Scott Eisner, President of the BGR Group; Lester Munson, Vice President of the firm; and Lisa Colangelo, Senior Adviser at Valcour Global Public Strategy.

Also present at the meeting were Brian Browne, Special Adviser to the President on Global and Pan-African Affairs; Sunday Dare, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications and Presidential Spokesperson; and Femi Soneye, Federal Government Project Coordinator.

Speaking during the engagement, Lokpobiri highlighted Nigeria’s vast untapped oil and gas reserves, particularly in deepwater fields and frontier basins outside the Niger Delta, describing them as major investment opportunities for global energy investors.

He said the Federal Government was implementing reforms aimed at unlocking investments, increasing production and strengthening the country’s long-term energy security.

“Nigeria is deliberately shifting from potential to performance, and we are committed to reforms that unlock investment, expand production and drive long-term energy security,” the minister said.

Lokpobiri stressed that the proposed summit should move beyond policy discussions and focus on viable projects capable of attracting immediate investment commitments.

“The proposed summit must be structured around bankable, investment-ready projects rather than broad conversations, ensuring that outcomes are measurable, practical and capable of immediate execution,” he added.

Discussions at the meeting centred on Nigeria’s largely underexplored hydrocarbon reserves and the need for increased financing, technology transfer and strategic partnerships to unlock exploration and processing opportunities.

Participants identified U.S. and Western capital as critical to accelerating investment in the sector and boosting Nigeria’s production capacity.

The meeting also highlighted Nigeria’s strategic role as a stable energy supplier in West Africa amid changing global energy and geopolitical dynamics.

Both parties agreed on the need to narrow future engagement to a select number of priority projects, with between three and seven investment-ready initiatives expected to form the foundation of future cooperation and attract tangible investment outcomes.

The proposed summit is expected to serve as a platform for deepening energy collaboration between Nigeria and the United States while showcasing investment opportunities across Nigeria’s oil and gas value chain.