Oando Energy Resources, a subsidiary of Oando Plc, has unveiled plans to generate electricity from abandoned oil wells through a pilot geothermal-style power project as part of efforts to expand Nigeria’s clean energy capacity and support the country’s gas-to-power agenda.
According to a statement, the company disclosed this during a courtesy visit by its management to the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, where discussions centred on Oando’s contribution to Nigeria’s power sector and the broader potential of domestic gas utilisation.
Speaking during the meeting, the Managing Director of Oando Energy Resources, Dr Ainojie Irune, said the pilot project would repurpose abandoned oil wells across the Oando Joint Venture to produce geothermal-style electricity.
He described the initiative as one of the innovative, homegrown solutions needed to transform Nigeria’s energy sector and improve electricity access.
Irune said the project forms part of the company’s clean energy strategy being executed through Oando Clean Energy, established five years ago to explore how gas, solar, wind and hydro resources can be combined to provide reliable and affordable electricity across Africa.
He noted that Oando’s operations already support power generation infrastructure through the 480-megawatt Okpai Independent Power Plant, which contributes directly to the national grid.
According to him, the plant supplies electricity to about 50 million Nigerians and accounts for approximately 15 per cent of the nation’s power supply.
He added that the company’s investment portfolio is increasingly focused on gas, describing it as critical to Nigeria’s economic recovery and industrial development. “Domestic capacity is not only an imperative now, but it is also the only way we get out of an economic crisis,” Irune said.
He added that building a productive economy and supporting industrialisation would require sustained investment in basic infrastructure and power.
Responding, Tegbe welcomed Oando’s continued engagement with the ministry and reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to strengthening gas-to-power delivery as a key pillar of Nigeria’s industrialisation agenda.
“We can talk about carbon credits, but in reality, it’s about the resources you have. You have to use them. That’s your advantage. Get it done in the cheapest, most efficient way possible. For me, it’s hydro, gas, and solar,” the minister said.
The minister also welcomed the company’s offer of technical and advisory support, saying collaboration between the government and the private sector would be essential to delivering sustainable reforms in the power sector.
“I look forward to that collaboration, and I believe the power sector will get to a point where we start to see real progress. We need to look at how we use skills transfer and exchange to ensure our public sector side is also equipped to deliver on projects. I believe we will get there,” Tegbe added.
According to the statement, both parties agreed to deepen collaboration in the weeks ahead, while Irune stressed that achieving Nigeria’s energy transformation would require collective effort.
“The ambition is not yours alone,” he told the minister, urging a shared long-term commitment between government and industry to realise the country’s energy roadmap.
