Oando Energy Resources, a subsidiary of Oando Plc, has announced 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 advance the country’s gas-to-power agenda.
The company disclosed this during a courtesy visit by its management team to the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, where discussions focused on Oando’s contributions to Nigeria’s power sector and the broader potential of domestic gas utilisation.
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 generate geothermal-style electricity.
He said the initiative represented the kind of innovative, homegrown solution needed to transform Nigeria’s energy sector and expand electricity access.
Irune said the project was part of the company’s broader clean energy strategy, being implemented through Oando Clean Energy, which was established five years ago to explore how gas, solar, wind and hydropower could be combined to deliver reliable and affordable electricity across Africa.
He added that Oando’s existing operations already support power generation infrastructure through the 480-megawatt Okpai Independent Power Plant, which contributes electricity to the national grid.
According to him, the plant provides power to about 50 million Nigerians and accounts for approximately 15 per cent of the country’s electricity supply.
He added that the company’s investment portfolio was increasingly shifting towards gas, which he described 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.
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, stressing that strong collaboration between the government and private sector would be crucial to achieving sustainable reforms in Nigeria’s 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 their collaboration in the coming weeks, while Irune emphasised that transforming Nigeria’s energy sector would require collective effort.
