Joseph Samali, the Chief Technology Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd), has warned energy companies against viewing cybersecurity risks associated with artificial intelligence (AI) as merely technical issues, but as critical business risks.
The energy business was progressively using AI in its operations, Samali said, which was exposing it to a rising number of complex cyber risks, needing better governance frameworks, clear accountability and good risk management.
He made the plea Thursday during an executive session on “Cyber Resilience: Defending AI-Enabled Energy Systems Against Evolving Threats” at the 2026 Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC).
Many energy businesses have made great strides in integrating information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) but their governance frameworks and organisational structures have not kept up, he said.
“The growing interconnectivity of industrial and digital systems has created new vulnerabilities that could threaten operational efficiency, business continuity and the security of critical energy infrastructure,” he said.
Samali said NNPC Limited had adopted and implemented a sustainable cybersecurity standard to enhance the protection of its systems.
However, he stressed that effective cybersecurity should go beyond the deployment of technological solutions and should include human capability, institutional frameworks and well defined roles.
The NNPC chief also asked for common metrics for success that would combine cybersecurity with operational efficiency and business continuity. “Security considerations must be central to the adoption of emerging technologies.
Speaking to chief executives about the expanding importance of artificial intelligence, Samali said AI was here to stay in the energy business and organisations should embrace the technology within well defined risk appetites.
Such an approach would enable organisations make educated investment decisions while ensuring that AI implementation was responsible, safe and in line with their business objectives, he said.
The session was moderated by Luis Parrondo, Managing Director at Accenture and included remarks from Wassim Ghadban, Global Senior Vise President, AI and Digital Engineering at Kent, and Dev Singh, Vise President and Global Head of Energy and Resources and Managing Director, Qualcomm UAE.
The debate was held as part of activities honouring the last day of ADIPEC 2026, which brought together global energy executives, policymakers and technology experts to analyse emerging prospects, technical breakthroughs and challenges defining the future of the energy business.
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