- Nigeria’s upstream oil sector is experiencing a revival, with crude output reaching 1.71 million barrels per day and rig count rising to about 40, driven by policy reforms and increased local participation.
- Kenyon International, a fully Nigerian oilfield services firm, has emerged as a key player by executing complex oil recovery projects with a predominantly local workforce, unlocking over 30 million barrels in renewed production.
- The company combines technical excellence with community investment, offering scholarships and vocational training, and is recognized as a model for indigenous industrial leadership and sustainable energy development.
As Nigeria intensifies its drive to restore energy production and deepen local participation in its oil and gas value chain, indigenous firms are stepping forward as critical partners in shaping the nation’s sustainable energy future.
Once dominated almost entirely by foreign service giants, the upstream segment of Nigeria’s petroleum industry is now witnessing a quiet but powerful transformation, one driven by homegrown expertise, innovation, and resilience.
Among the firms at the forefront of this shift is Kenyon International, a wholly Nigerian oilfield services company that has distinguished itself as a key player in the country’s oil production recovery efforts.
According to data from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Nigeria’s crude and condensate output climbed to approximately 1.71 million barrels per day in July 2025, representing a steady rebound from previous years of volatility.
The nation’s rig count, a vital indicator of upstream activity, rose from just eight in 2021 to about forty active rigs in 2025, with expectations of surpassing fifty by year-end. Meanwhile, the country’s proven reserves remain robust, estimated at 37.28 billion barrels of crude and condensate and over 200 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.
These figures reflect a sector in revival, buoyed by policy reforms, improved security interventions, and a renewed commitment to local capacity development.
For indigenous service providers like Kenyon International, Nigeria’s quest to rebound its prolific oil production presents both an opportunity and a validation of years of investment in local expertise. Established in 2015, Kenyon began with a simple but audacious goal of proving that Nigerian firms could deliver oilfield services to international standards of precision, reliability, and safety.
A decade later, that vision has evolved into tangible results. Kenyon has built a predominantly Nigerian workforce of engineers, technicians, and project managers who are now executing projects that were once the exclusive domain of expatriates.
At the core of Kenyon’s philosophy is the conviction that true sustainability begins with human capital. Chief Executive Officer Dr. Victor Ekpenyong has often described talent development as both a moral and strategic imperative for the industry. “Developing local expertise is the most strategic investment any company can make in this industry,” he asserts. “Every Nigerian engineer trained to deliver global-standard results becomes part of the foundation for long-term sustainability. That is how we build resilience, not just for Kenyon, but for the entire energy sector.”
The company’s operational record underscores this philosophy. Kenyon has been involved in complex oil well interventions, completions, and production recovery projects that have demonstrated how indigenous expertise can deliver measurable results.
Its deployment of advanced well-control and restoration technologies — such as the Interwell MSAS system, which successfully restored more than 7,000 barrels per day in one intervention — was executed almost entirely by Nigerian engineers. Some of Kenyon International’s innovative interventions to revive brownfield projects have unlocked over 30 million barrels in renewed crude oil flow.
The success of such projects highlights how knowledge transfer, coupled with local execution, can enhance operational efficiency while keeping economic value within Nigeria. Kenyon’s growing relevance has coincided with the broader rebound in Nigeria’s upstream sector. As exploration and drilling activities ramp up, driven by renewed confidence from operators and regulators, the demand for technically capable, cost-effective, and dependable local contractors has surged. For Kenyon, this expansion represents not just an increase in business opportunities but also a responsibility to continue scaling its capabilities while deepening its contribution to national productivity.
Beyond the oilfields, Kenyon International’s understanding of local content extends to fostering social impact in local communities through investments in education and empowerment programmes. The company has supported scholarship schemes for students in engineering and geosciences, while also sponsoring vocational training in welding, electrical installation, and project management within host communities.
These initiatives have created employment pathways for young Nigerians, strengthened local economies, and expanded the pool of skilled professionals available to the industry. Industry observers, including members of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Nigeria Council, have acknowledged the company’s efforts as a model for how indigenous participation can drive not just compliance, but fundamental socioeconomic transformation.
As Nigeria works to stabilise production and optimise costs amid fluctuating global oil prices, reliance on indigenous service firms like Kenyon is expected to deepen. By training Nigerian engineers to handle sophisticated tools and deliver high-value field operations, Kenyon is helping operators reduce project turnaround times, minimise downtime, and retain more of the oil economy’s value within the country. This not only strengthens national capacity but also enhances energy security by ensuring that critical operations are managed by people with both technical expertise and contextual understanding of the terrain.
Dr. Ekpenyong believes that the future of Nigeria’s energy sustainability lies in empowerment. “When local expertise becomes the engine of progress, the industry grows stronger, and communities grow with it,” he says. “That is the real measure of success.”
Nigeria’s oil and gas sector continues to evolve at the intersection of recovery and transition. While the government pursues ambitious targets for crude output, it is also laying the groundwork for gas development, renewable integration, and environmental stewardship. Within this complex landscape, indigenous companies will continue to play an increasingly strategic role. With more than 300 active fields and expanding rig activity, opportunities abound for firms that can blend technical innovation with local understanding.
Kenyon International’s trajectory captures what is possible when business strategy aligns with national vision. Its combination of technical excellence, human capital development, and community investment embodies a distinctly Nigerian model of industrial leadership. In demonstrating that homegrown firms can meet global standards, Kenyon is helping write a new chapter in Nigeria’s oil and gas narrative, one defined not by dependence, but by self-reliance, innovation, and shared progress.
