Oluwatobi Adu 
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar
ABUJA, Nigeria – Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar says tensions in the Middle East highlight the need for Gulf oil and gas producers to partner with Nigeria to stabilise global energy supply.
In a statement on Wednesday, Tuggar says disruptions caused by the Iran conflict and threats to shipments through the Strait of Hormuz underscore the importance of diversifying energy sources.
About one-fifth of global oil supply passes through the strategic shipping corridor.
“It’s in line with what we’ve always advocated — that countries which might otherwise consider us competitors should partner with us and invest,” Tuggar says.
He argues that Nigeria’s vast untapped oil and gas reserves could provide an alternative supply source during global energy shocks.
Nigeria has increased crude production to around 1.7 million barrels per day, up from 1.4 million barrels per day when President Bola Tinubu took office in 2023.
According to Tuggar, increased investment in pipelines and oilfields could push production even higher.
Nigeria has already signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement with the United Arab Emirates, aimed at boosting trade and energy cooperation.
Meanwhile, the Dangote Refinery, with a capacity of 650,000 barrels per day, is expected to reduce Nigeria’s reliance on imported refined products.
“At the moment the world consumes about 105 to 106 million barrels of oil per day,” Tuggar says. “We must work together to ensure sufficient supply.”
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Hussaini Ibrahim 
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