Oil safety milestone Nigeria celebrated as FIRST E\&P and NNPC JV records 10 million LTI-free hours, highlighting safety excellence in petroleum operations

Oil safety milestone Nigeria has been achieved by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd and FIRST Exploration and Petroleum Development Company Joint Venture, celebrating an impressive 10 million man-hours without a single Lost Time Incident (LTI).

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This milestone reflects the industry’s commitment to maintaining high safety standards across its upstream operations on PML 53 and PML 54.

The Joint Venture announced this exceptional safety record at a commemorative dinner and awards ceremony held in Lagos. The event drew top figures in the energy sector, including regulators, stakeholders, and industry partners.

In a powerful endorsement of the achievement, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, praised the entire FIRST E\&P team.

“This is a celebration of the oil and gas sector. 10 Million Lost Time Incident-Free Man-Hours is an excellent record. It is crucial to commend the staff and partners of FIRST E\&P. Planning is never enough to achieve this excellent record – it takes the conscious effort of all staff,” he said during the event.

Lokpobiri also acknowledged the leadership of Ademola Adeyemi-Bero, the Managing Director of FIRST E\&P and Chairman of the OPEC Board of Governors, calling him a worthy ambassador for Nigeria and Africa on the global stage.

Ademola Adeyemi-Bero echoed the sentiment, pointing to the cooperative spirit that enabled the JV to hit the milestone. “We view this achievement as a shared success.

This would not have been possible without the dedication and collaboration of our contractors, service providers, and partners, all represented here today. As a company that has run for almost 13 years, we view our ‘safety first’ culture as one of our foundations,” he stated.

His remarks underlined how deliberate safety measures, consistent employee training, and continuous monitoring have been instrumental in ensuring that operations remain incident-free over such a long period.

The achievement, he stressed, was not accidental but the result of strategic alignment across multiple levels of the organisation.

Chief Upstream Investment Officer of NNPC Upstream Investment Management Services, Seyi Omotowa, also praised the team’s vigilance and efficiency.

“We are happy to join FIRST E\&P today to celebrate this remarkable achievement. FIRST E\&P stands tall among oil producers in the country with over 54,000 barrels of oil per day,” he said, reinforcing the company’s role in Nigeria’s energy output.

This oil safety milestone Nigeria serves as a benchmark for other operators in the petroleum sector, showing that stringent adherence to safety practices can yield long-term results without compromising production targets.

The Joint Venture’s operational zones on PML 53 and PML 54 continue to uphold their reputation for safety, efficiency, and innovation.

The ceremony not only recognised the LTI-free record but also rewarded personnel who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to safe practices.

Attendees described the event as both uplifting and motivating, underscoring the importance of maintaining and even exceeding this new safety standard.

With this milestone, the NNPC and FIRST E\&P JV positions itself as a leader in responsible oil production in Africa. This accomplishment will likely shape future safety protocols and operational planning in Nigeria’s upstream sector.

As Nigeria continues to develop its oil and gas infrastructure, milestones like this affirm the importance of sustainable and safe resource management.

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The celebration marked more than a number—it highlighted a culture shift within the industry, where proactive risk mitigation and teamwork create lasting impacts.