Nigerian Engineers Prove Global Capability with Egina, Ikike Projects – TotalEnergies
Nigeria’s Egina deepwater and Ikike shallow-water oil projects have emerged as strong evidence that Nigerian engineers, contractors, and service providers can deliver complex energy developments to global standards, TotalEnergies has said. The company noted that both projects demonstrate a shift from meeting regulatory requirements to building sustainable industrial capacity within Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
Speaking at the 9th Nigeria International Energy Summit (NIES 2026) in Abuja, Deputy General Manager for Nigerian Content at TotalEnergies Exploration and Production Nigeria, Cyprian Ojum, said the projects reflect a deliberate, performance-driven approach to local content under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA). He stressed that local participation must go beyond compliance to measurable value retention and skills development.
Ojum highlighted the Egina deepwater project as a turning point in Nigeria’s local content journey, noting that capacity building was embedded into its design and execution. About 200 Nigerians were trained in critical technical skills during the project, while significant infrastructure investments enabled local fabrication and integration. Today, Egina contributes nearly 10 per cent of TotalEnergies’ global production, underlining the scale of value created within Nigeria.
While Egina showcased industrial capacity, Ojum said the Ikike project proved that Nigerians can lead end-to-end project execution. The shallow-water development achieved approximately 95 per cent Nigerian content, driven largely by local expertise in fabrication, procurement, and offshore operations. According to him, Ikike’s success was built on lessons and capabilities developed during the Egina project, demonstrating how local capacity compounds over time.
He added that TotalEnergies’ strategy rests on three pillars: targeted human capacity development, deliberate value retention through local content, and close collaboration with Nigerian contractors and the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board. Together, Egina and Ikike, he said, show that Nigeria can combine strong local participation with international technical standards, strengthening the country’s position in the global energy industry.
source: punch