Sylva Plans Big for Nigeria’s Oil Sector

By Adedapo Adesanya

Nigeria’s new Minister of State for Petroleum, Mr Timipre Sylva, has said he is fully committed in moving the nation’s oil and gas sector to the next level in line with the federal government’s mandate to improve economic growth and spur national development.

Mr Sylva pledged to reposition and chart a way forward for the Nigerian petroleum sector, a terrain he is not alien to following his servitude as the Special Assistant to Dr Edmund Daukoru, the then Minister of State of Petroleum Resources, in 2002.

The former Bayelsa State Governor, bringing his wealth of experience in the field, pledged to work with the experts at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the other departments and agencies under the Ministry to move the sector forward.

In a welcome ceremony for Mr Sylva at the NNPC Towers in Abuja, the new Oil Minister, who was accompanied by his wife, Mrs Alanyingi Sylva, stated that with the calibre of workforce in the Ministry, he was sure that the nation’s oil and gas sector would move see

“I know we have a very competent management in the Nigerian Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), Department for Petroleum Resources (DPR) and the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB). I would like to take some briefing from all of you, after which I would make some proper response,” he said at the gathering.

The new Minister of State contributed profoundly to the institution of the Amnesty programme in the Niger Delta region which, over time, has led to restoration of peace in the oil producing areas of Nigeria.

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Dr. Folashade Yemi-Esan, in her remarks, reassured the minister of the readiness of all members of staff in the Ministry to support him to succeed in the onerous task of transforming the Nigerian oil and gas sector for the good of all stakeholders.

At the brief ceremony to welcome the new Minister were the Group Managing director of NNPC, Mr Mele Kyari; Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Training Development Fund (PTDF), Mr Bello Aliyu Gusau; and the Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Equalisation Fund (PEF), Mr Ahmed Bobboi, amongst others.