LOCAL CONTENT: Petroleum Minister To Host Stakeholders’ Meeting

The Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke is set to hold a meeting with all the relevant agencies in the oil and gas sector later this month to work out a blue print on how  to ensure that  indigenous maritime operators participate more  in the foreign- dominated petroleum industry.

The Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke is set to hold a meeting with all the relevant agencies in the oil and gas sector later this month to work out a blue print on how  to ensure that  indigenous maritime operators participate more  in the foreign- dominated petroleum industry.
Disclosing this in Houston, Texas last week at the opening ceremony of the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) when she visited the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) stand, she said it is necessary as the involvement of indigenous operators in the lifting of petroleum products is in line with government desires.
Director General of NIMASA, Patrick Akpobolokemi had complained to the minister about the present situation and had said there is need to change the trend. The NIMASA boss who received the minister in company of the Special Adviser to the President of Maritime Matter, Mr Leke Oyewole, and an Executive Director of the agency; Ishaku Shakarau, and others, assured the minister that NIMASA under him will do all that is necessary to ensure full participation of indigenous maritime operators in the petroleum sector.
The Special Adviser later told the NIMASA boss that there was need for a meeting of all the relevant agencies and groups in the sector as soon as they return from the trip and they agreed that the Oyewole should set the meeting before the meeting with the minister later this month.
However, an operator said on condition of anonymity that it is not enough to hold the meeting, but the decisions reached should be implemented.
The operator noted that there had been several meetings in the past and nothing concrete had come out of it. He pointed out that until government muster the political will to incorporate indigenous shipping companies in the lifting of the nation's petroleum products, nothing concrete can happen.