Ex-OPEC Scribe Urges Host Communities to See Investors as Partners

Emmanuel Addeh 

A former the Secretary-General of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) King Edmund Daukoru, has urged host oil communities to support investors and companies in their domain and refrain from burdening them with onerous demands.

Stressing that this will enable them thrive sustainably, the Amayanabo of Nembe Kingdom in Bayelsa State, expressed delight that Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) interventions were transforming Bayelsa state into a haven.

Daukoru spoke during the ground-breaking ceremony of a 64,000 litres per day lubricants blending plant being developed at Gbarain, Bayelsa State by ERASKON Nigerian Limited in partnership with the NCDMB.

The former Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC), said that the board was redefining the oil and gas industry and changing its reputation of just being a base for commodity export, with no industrial capacity.

He hinted that the number of derivatives and linkages from the oil industry was limitless, and that they create opportunities for employment and economic advancement in the polity. 

He acknowledged the NCDMB for the effective implementation of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act and the huge impact it had made on the economy.

Some of these, a statement from the NCDMB said, include the 12,000 barrels per day (bpd) Azikel modular refinery and the 2,000bpd Atlantic modular refinery, Rungas composite LPG cylinder manufacturing facility at Polaku, the oil and gas industrial park at Emeyal-1 and the Board’s 17-story headquarters building. 

Others are the partnership with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, for the development of 10,000metric tonnes per day methanol production plant in Brass and development of the Brass Island Shipyard to domicile the repair and maintenance of vessels.

In addition, the NLNG carriers and the development of a coastal petroleum products terminal in Brass, Bayelsa State, NCDMB stressed as well as the construction of the Oloibiri Oil and Gas Museum and Research Centre in Ogbia LGA of the state, were some of its major strides in the last few years.

In his address, the Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Simbi Wabote, explained that the partnership with ERASKON was in line with the board’s mandate of developing local manufacturing capacity, providing employment opportunities, and increasing local content in the Nigerian oil and gas industry and linkage sectors.