The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has praised President Muhammadu Buhari for his fervent and strong support for the nation’s energy industry.
OPEC said a highly successful record of supporting Nigeria‘s industry took a huge leap forward in 2021 when the 9th National Assembly passed the Petroleum Industry Bill (GDP).
Dr. Mohammad Barkindo, Secretary General of OPEC, made this eulogy on Monday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, at the opening of the Fifth Nigerian International Energy Summit (NIES 2022).
The summit that was declared open Buhari, represented by Sylva, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, has as its theme: “Revitalize the Industry: Future Fuels and Energy Transition”.
The summit is scheduled to take place from February 27 to March 3.
“This long-awaited law for the oil and gas sector is bringing about the necessary reforms designed to strengthen institutions, solidify regulatory and fiscal frameworks, and attract much-needed investment in a sustainable manner.
“I congratulate the 9th National Assembly for enacting this long-awaited law.
“At OPEC, we very much regard President Buhari as ‘one of our own.’ An OPEC veteran.
“He has been heavily involved in the affairs of the Organization for decades and is currently the only acting Head of State in the world who made his career involved in the OPEC family,” he said.
The OPEC secretary general noted that the president had also maintained his avid interest in OPEC, adding that everyone was inspired by his commitment.
Barkindo also recognized Chief Timipre Sylva, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and Head of OPEC Delegation, for his effort to transform the industry.
“Your Excellency, your leadership and active participation continue to enrich our ongoing activities to forge sustainable stability in the oil market,” he said.
He said that the theme of the fifth summit, coming at a pivotal moment in the industry’s history, perfectly encapsulated the highly challenging and multidimensional dynamics of today’s global energy industry.
“I congratulate the organizing committee, under the able leadership of Mr. Mele Kyari, Group Managing Director of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPC), for putting together a very timely and thought-provoking programme.
“Surely we can expect some very insightful and useful results from the deliberations we are about to undertake during this Summit,” he said.
Furthermore, he noted that it was extremely important that a major event of this nature should take place on the African continent, adding that African countries had historically taken strong and proactive leadership roles in OPEC.
He added that the strong ties between OPEC and Africa reflect the critical role that the great continent, with its young, vibrant and talented population, will play in the future of the energy industry.
The event is attended by many dignitaries, including the President of the OPEC 2022 Conference, Mr. Bruno Jean-Richard Itoua, the Minister of Mines and Hydrocarbons of the Congo, Mr. Budimbu Didier, and Mr. Gabriel Lima, Minister of Industry, Mines and Energy of Equatorial Guinea, among others. .
NIES is an official energy industry event of the Federal Government of Nigeria jointly organized by Petroleum Resources and all its parastatals, including the NNPC and the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB).
Others are: Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NURPC), Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) and Petroleum Training Institute (PTI).
The goal of the summit from the start is to deliver the biggest and best African Petroleum Business and Technology Conference which will be the ultimate platform, not only for Nigeria, but also for Africa to engage the global energy community.
