A $25 billion annual financing gap in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector was the backdrop for a Lagos roundtable convened by ProvidusUnity Bank and its US partner Regions Bank, where industry leaders, financiers and policymakers gathered to hash out ways to get capital moving into the sector’s stalled and marginal projects.
Roundtable convener and ProvidusUnity Bank Head of Global Trade and Structured Finance Dr Biodun Ariyo said the session, themed Financing Growth Across Nigeria’s Oil and Gas Value Chain, was built to do more than talk, connecting stakeholders directly with the financing partners and structures capable of accelerating growth. He described the gathering as a gateway to deeper Nigeria US collaboration across energy, agriculture and mining, arguing that closer ties in these sectors would let both countries mobilise capital more efficiently and unlock private investment faster.
Regions Bank Executive Director for International Trade Finance Thomas Matthias used the platform to make a broader case for Africa, arguing the continent has been overlooked for too long and that his bank’s own experience financing Nigerian transactions has built the confidence to go deeper into the market. He said shifting global energy dynamics give Nigeria a real opening to grow production, attract capital and cement its position as one of Africa’s leading energy producers, and pledged Regions Bank’s commitment to partnering with ProvidusUnity Bank to help unlock that potential.
The event drew operators across Nigeria’s oil and gas industry along with representatives from institutions including the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, and its centrepiece panel dug into the mechanics of financing itself: West Africa LNG Group President Cem Hacioglu, Alliant Insurance Services Political Risk Practice Leader Conal Duffy, EQUIPXP founder Dr Vernon Darko and government contractor Basim Nasr discussed how insurance can de risk cross border transactions, how marginal and idle assets get financed, what gas monetisation actually requires, and why long term liquidity matters for capital intensive energy projects. Participants left with a shared goal, identifying more bankable projects across Nigeria and the continent by pooling the two banks’ financing capabilities, with ProvidusUnity pledging to keep building the kind of partnerships that widen access to long term capital.
