THE landscape for indigenous Nigerian exploration and production companies is about to change, prompting a flurry of mergers and acquisitions.
Some are being forced to relinquish acreage held since the 2003 Marginal Fields Licensing Round, which reallocated dormant assets from the majors to inexperienced locals.
Many independent producers have persistently failed to pay royalties, while others have not even developed their fields and are no closer to securing partners.
