The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, on Wednesday said the United States, Europe and countries in the Middle East are increasingly seeking Nigerian crude oil, but the country does not yet have sufficient production to meet the growing international demand.
Speaking in Abuja at the ongoing Nigeria Oil and Gas Energy Week, the minister said Nigeria’s improving oil output has renewed global interest in its crude, adding that foreign governments and investors have been approaching the country for supplies.
This comes amid complaints from local refiners that they are not getting enough domestic feedstock for their plants.
“The pressure is even more on me because of what has happened in the Gulf region. “I receive delegations from across the world, from the USA, from Europe, and from the Middle East. Everybody comes to me because they want to do business with Nigeria. They want to buy Nigerian oil. Unfortunately, we don’t have enough to sell to them,” Lokpobiri said.
