Nigeria net-zero push: Strong laws and regulatory reform key to attracting climate investment, say minister and experts

Nigeria's Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, told the Lawyers in Energy International Conference that transparent, predictable legal frameworks are essential for attracting investment and achieving net-zero emissions. He pointed to the Petroleum Industry Act and the Climate Change Act as foundations, but stressed that implementation matters more than policy language. APPO Secretary-General Farid Ghezali called for harmonized petroleum laws across Africa, noting that over 50 different legal systems currently raise transaction costs and push capital toward more predictable jurisdictions. He described regulatory fragmentation as Africa's biggest hidden tax and urged shared principles on transparency, environmental standards, and dispute resolution without removing national sovereignty. The conference highlighted the tension between climate commitments and development priorities in African economies. Speakers argued that legal certainty, not just resource potential, now determines where investment flows in a carbon-constrained energy market.