Oilserv Nigeria Ltd. has urged International Oil Companies (IOCs) operating across Africa to tap into the continent’s vast opportunities, particularly in the Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) sector.
The Group Chief Executive Officer of Oilserv Group, Mr. Emeka Okwuosa, made the call on Thursday at the ongoing Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF 2025) in Algeria. He was represented by the company’s Chief of Staff, Mr. Cephalus Wari.
Okwuosa said Oilserv, with more than 30 years of experience in the oil and gas industry, had built a strong reputation as a key driver of oil and gas-based construction and engineering projects in Nigeria while steadily expanding its reach across the continent.
According to him, Oilserv’s successful track record in executing complex, high-standard engineering contracts both within Nigeria and in other African countries positioned the company as a formidable competitor in the EPC space.
“The company has, over the years, leveraged partnerships with Afreximbank for transformative growth, which has enhanced both our skills and capacity,” he said.
He explained that Oilserv had managed several large-scale turnkey projects and was currently leading Africa’s largest gas project. Its expertise, he noted, extends to developing flow stations and delivering services and products in collaboration with local entities such as the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC).
Okwuosa also disclosed that the company had expanded its footprint to Benin, Ghana, Senegal, and other African economies.
“As a key provider of oil and gas infrastructure, we are well positioned to deliver quality services and ensure timely completion of projects for our clients across the continent,” he said.
Having established itself in the Nigerian market, Oilserv, he added, is now more focused on scaling its services across Africa. “All oil companies require critical infrastructure to drive their projects, and we are prepared to provide comprehensive facilities to meet those needs,” he noted.
On challenges, Okwuosa identified financing as a major hurdle, pointing out that local banks often lack the capacity to support large-scale projects, forcing companies to rely on multilateral institutions such as Afreximbank.
“As an intra-African construction company, we initiated Nigeria’s ambitious Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano (AKK) pipeline project in 2014 and have continued to make excellent progress despite some unforeseen natural challenges, which are now under control,” he stated.
He further highlighted issues around insecurity, ease of doing business, and foreign exchange instability, stressing that they remain stumbling blocks to building a stable African economy.
“Thanks to our collaboration with Afreximbank, we have been able to secure critical financing that enabled us to participate in infrastructure development across multiple African countries,” he added.
Okwuosa also flagged visa and travel bottlenecks as factors slowing down projects, and called for harmonised policies across African countries.
“Streamlining these processes would save valuable time and resources, ultimately boosting efficiency in the sector,” he concluded.
