GPH Partners World Energy City In Infrastructure Dev

In an effort to fast track infrastructural development in Rivers State, the Greater Port Harcourt City Development Authority (GPHCDA) has indicated interest in collaborating with the World Energy Cities Partnership in Houston, Texas, United States.

The World Energy Cities Partnership (WECP) is a collaboration of over 14 “energy cities” around the world. City membership of the WECP encourages the exchange of energy industry knowledge, as well as economic and infrastructure development strategies.

In addition to city collaboration, the WECP provides a worldwide network of industry support services and resources. It also facilitates trade missions for local business leaders to travel to member cities and capitalize on business development opportunities.

Port Harcourt City, in Rivers State, is a member of the World Energy City Partnership, making it the third African city which also includes Luanda, Angola and Malabo, Equatorial Guinea. The admission followed its presentation by the Port Harcourt Chamber of Commerce at its May, 2008, conference in Houston, Texas, and thus makes Port Harcourt a globally acknowledged economically progressive city.

Speaking at the authority’s Head Office, when the representatives of the World Energy Cities Partnership from Houston, Texas, paid her a courtesy visit, the GPH Administrator, Dame Aleruchi Cookey-Gam, said despite the fact that Port Harcourt hosts several international and local oil companies, the city still offers a lot of additional investment opportunities in various areas, especially in oil and gas.

Mrs Cookey-Gam also said that GPHCDA was established to drive the vision of the Governor, Rt. Hon Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi to build a new city that would improve the living standards of the people, restore the beauty of the Garden City and also expand its frontiers to make it more attractive and reachable by investors.

She further stated that government has come up with a regulatory framework to structure both the present and future development in Port Harcourt, saying that GPHCDA has left no stone unturned in the planning process for the take off of the new city.

The administrator stated that the Energy City proposed by the state government will be built within the New Greater Port Harcourt Area, around the present Onne Oil and Gas Free Zone, adding that the authority will explore the opportunities afforded by WECP’s visit to seek collaboration in infrastructure development.

Speaking earlier, the leader of the delegation, Mr. Genaro Pena said Port Harcourt is significant to fellow World Energy Cities Partnership (WECP) member cities as well as the world due to her potentials in trade and market development, saying that the essence of their visit was to look for areas of business opportunities and collaboration in the state, in addition to direct airline links between Houston and Port Harcourt.

Member countries of the Energy Cities are: Aberdeen and Scotland, UK; Calgary, Halifax, and St. Johns, Canada; Dammam, Saudi Arabia; Daqing and Dongying, China; Doha, Qatar;  Houston, USA; Luanda, Angola; Malabo, Equatorial Guinea; Perth, Australia; Port Harcourt, Nigeria; San Fernando, Trinidad & Tobago;  Stavanger, Norway;and Villahermosa, Mexico.

In the visit were, Ms. Saba Abasha of World Energy City, Houston, Commissioner for Energy and Natural Resources, Dr. Dawari George,  Commissioner for Power, Austin Nwokocha, Rivers State representative in WECP, Dr. Emi Membere-Otaji, special assistants to the governor on Investment Promotions, Abiye Amachree, and Petroleum, Joetex Kpako, and Permanaent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, Dr. George Worlu.

Others are directors of Administration, Gas, Conflict Resolution and Statistics; head of Petroleum Department in the ministry.