By Ediri Ejoh 

Oilserv Nigeria Limited, one of Africa’s leading oil and gas servicing firms, has called on International Oil Companies, IOCs, operating across the continent to maximize opportunities for indigenous Engineering, Procurement, and Construction, EPC, firms.

Speaking at the ongoing Intra-African Trade Fair, IATF 2025, Group Chief Executive Officer of Oilserv, Mr. Emeka Okwuosa—represented by the company’s Chief of Staff, Mr. Cephalus Wariri—said Oilserv’s decades-long track record has positioned it as a strong Pan-African competitor.

“We have handled huge turnkey projects and are currently driving Africa’s biggest gas project. We have developed flow stations and delivered infrastructure in collaboration with NNPCL,” Wariri said.

Oilserv has expanded its services to Benin, Ghana, Senegal, and other African economies. According to Wariri, the company is prepared to scale beyond Nigeria: “As a major provider of oil and gas sector infrastructure, we have all it takes to offer quality services and timely deliverables across Africa. All oil companies need our infrastructure to progress.”

He noted that finance remains a challenge, as local banks lack sufficient capacity, making multilaterals like Afreximbank vital partners. “As an intra-African construction company, we conceived Nigeria’s most ambitious oil and gas pipeline project—the Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano (AKK)—in 2014 and have excelled despite unforeseen natural challenges.”

Wariri also highlighted issues such as insecurity, forex instability, and ease of doing business, stressing that these hinder growth. He urged Afreximbank to address visa and travel bottlenecks that slow project execution.

“However, we are worried about the lack of uniformity within African countries,” he added.