By Dipo Olowookere
Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Mr Ibe Kachikwu; and the Governor of Bayelsa State, Mr Seriake Dickson, were among top officials of Federal and State Governments at the Nigerian Content Investment Forum (NCIF) 2017, held at the sidelines of the 2017 Offshore Technology Conference, (OTC) in Houston, Texas, United States in May.
They urged investors to put their money in Nigeria, promising them of good returns because the country remains the largest market in Africa.
The NCIF is organised annually by the board in partnership with Sweetcrude Reports.
Mr Kachikwu harped on the 7Big Wins identified for the Petroleum Industry, listing some of the focus areas to include improving the business environment and driving investments in the upstream, downstream and midstream sectors.
He also promised that the Ministry of Petroleum Resources will come up with a ‘Going Forward Manual’ to guide how business will be done in the industry.
He explained that the purpose of the programme was to identify prospective investors willing to partner with the Nigerian Government and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to invest in the economy.
He reaffirmed government’s determination to boost local redefining for self-sufficiency. Pursuant to this is the planned establishment of modular refineries in each oil producing state, he said.
He also stressed the need for collaboration among stakeholders, irrespective of political or state divides to industrialize the nation.
On his part, the Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Mr Simbi Wabote, explained that the NCIF Strategic Roundtable Session was organized to match Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) with Nigerian SMEs. He expressed hope that the event “will depart from the norm of just talking to forging new and fruitful partnerships.”
In his speech, Mr Dickson said the Bayelsa State government will assist investors seeking to set up in the state. He listed the industrial park as one of the projects which investors can partner the government to develop. He also expressed support for the modular refineries initiative, assuring that the Bayelsa State government will work with the Federal Government and private investors to set them up in the state.
