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NAOC Commissions Projects In Bayelsa

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15 years ago

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In compliance to the agreed Memorandum of  Understating with its host communities, the Nigeria Agip Oil Company (NAOC) and its joint venture partners have respectively. Commissioned a six classroom block in Abuetor Community in Sagbama Local Government Area and a community Town Hall in Ologoama community in Nembe Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

In his remark while commissioning the projects during the week, NAOC General Manager, District, Giovanri Salvini, represented by the Public Relations Communication and Government Laison Manager, Prince Nwachuku Obi, said that the projects are true testimony of company’s willingness to improve the general living standard of the host communities.

He recalled that last year, NAOC respectively commissioned Okugbe Isoko Health Centre / Doctors and Nurses quarters in Osifo community, while in Okoroma clan, it commissioned 2 kilometer road and drains in Ologoama, Akakumama and Dorgu Ewoama communities of the clan.

According to him, “this exercise is not limited to the respective communities, we have over the past eight months, covered more than forty communities within the land and swamp Areas of our operational states of Beyalsa, Rivers, Delta and Imo.

He maintained that in order to empower the host communities, the contracts are awarded to indigenous contractors, advising them not to abandon projects awarded them, so as not to stall the developmental efforts of the company.

Prince Obi urged the respective communities to maintain the existing cordial relationship to enable the business environment continue to thrive.

Speaking, the Bayelsa State Ministry of Environment representative, Director, Ezekiel Adike, lauded    Agip for its magnanimity and commended the various communities for maintaining peace in the area, as well as protecting the oil facilities   sited in their domain.

He warned that any attempt to interrupt  oil operations in the community will not only hamper progress in the area but will also affect the revenue allocation of the state and inturn  show down the pace of development in the rural areas and  the state in general.

Earlier in their address, the President-General of Abuetor community, Chief Lawrence  Agwor thanked Nigerian Agip Oil Company and its joint venture for their commitment toward the realisation of the six-class room block project for and the government’s preparedness to take over the school.

He appealed to NAOC to expedite action on  the supply of science equipment and provision of mini-water scheme for effective take off of the school.

He called  on the government to complement NAOC’s efforts by providing hostels, teachers quarters and other necessary amenities. The President demanded  that NAOC should as a matter  of priority separate the new MOU between  the Abuetor, Osifo and Osekwenike communities, in order to fostering peace and unity among the sister communities.

Similarly  the CDC chairman of Ologoama, Edler Willis Obiene, in an address, expressed his appreciation over the electrification, Health Centre,  Concrete landing jetty/roads and water scheme projects already commissioned  in the area by Agip as well as the town hall project.

The chairman Ologoama council of Chiefs, Chief Ohikakpan expressed his gratitude over the kind gesture of NAOC, describing Agip as the only visible government in action in Ologoama.

He enjoined the community to encourage the company to site more developmental projects  by ensuring that peace and tranquillity  reigns so as to create enabling environment for NAOC  smooth oil operations to thrive.

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Oil & Energy

Rivers PETROAN Elects 12-Member Executive 

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7 days ago

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May 18, 2026

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The Petroleum Products Retail Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN), Rivers State Branch, has elected a 12 – member executive to steer the affairs of the association for the next four years.
The executive, elected during the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the association, at it’s secretariat in Port Harcourt, and sworn in immediately after the election, was mandated to, among other things, tackle the adulteration of petroleum products as well as address irregularities in meter readings across the state.
The newly elected executive include, Pastor Ezekiel I. Eletuo  as  Chairman,  Kanu Addeson C. as Vice Chairman , Dr. Ejike Jonathan Nnbuihe as Secretary,  Fidelis A.Inaku as Treasurer and Lady C. N. Ekejiuba as Financial Secretary.
Others are Anaenye Anthony as Publicity Secretary, Arc. Kingsley O. Anyino as Organising Secretary, Nze Peter Ezenwa as Chief Whip, and Sunny Williams as Auditor.
Other members of the executive included Chidiebere Ronel Akwara as Welfare Officer, Ibe Chimaobi C. as Legal Adviser, and Emetoh Chizoba as Assistant Secretary.
Inaugurating the new leadership, PETROAN Zonal Chairman, High Chief Sunny G. Nkpe, charged the team to build on the achievements of the outgoing executive.
He urged them to collaborate with stakeholders in the petroleum sector to ensure industry stability and address issues of multiple taxation.
Nkpe who emphasized the need for transparency, accountability, and an open-door policy in administering the union, insisted these principles remained crucial in advancing the association’s objectives and improving members’ welfare.
The zonal chairman also commended the outgoing executive for their accomplishments during their tenure and for conducting a smooth transition process.
He further described their efforts as instrumental in strengthening the union’s standing in the state.
In his acceptance speech, the new Chairman, Pastor Ezekiel I. Eletuo, thanked members for their confidence and pledged to improve on the foundations laid by the previous administration.
He promised his leadership would be guided by transparency, accountability, fairness, unity, and integrity.
Eletuo called on all members to support the new executive in its efforts to elevate the association.
Also speaking, the immediate past Chairman, of the association, Sir Chilam Francis Dimkpa, expressed appreciation to members for their support during his administration and stressed the need for them to extend the same cooperation to the new leadership.
Dimkpa highlighted key achievements of his tenure to include capacity building for members, increased union visibility through media advocacy, and the establishment of stronger ties with stakeholders, corporate organisations, and individuals.
He also acknowledged the support of the state government, the Police, the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
Stakeholders present at the event also delivered their goodwill messages.
Highlights of the event included  administration of oath of office to the new executive and the presentation of certificates of return by the zonal chairman.    .
By: Amadi Akujobi
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FG Intensifies Efforts To Reposition Tourism Sector 

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7 days ago

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May 18, 2026

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The Federal Government has intensified efforts towards reposition Nigeria’s hospitality and tourism industry for global competitiveness, aimed at strengthening regulation, professionalism and workforce standards across the sector.
This was made known last week when the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR) conferred  fellowships, inducted professionals and inaugurated the governing boards of the Hospitality and Tourism Sector Skills Council of Nigeria (HTSSCN) in Abuja.
The high-profile event, held at Merit House, Maitama, drew senior government officials, regulators, tourism operators, cultural institutions, hospitality investors and development partners in what stakeholders described as a major institutional shift .
Government also formally inducted registered practitioners into various professional categories while also inaugurating the Board of Trustees and Board of Directors of the HTSSCN, an employer-led platform designed to align workforce competencies with industry expectations.
Speaking at the event, the Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, said the initiative represented a strategic intervention to strengthen accountability, standards and institutional coordination within Nigeria’s tourism and hospitality ecosystem.
According to the minister, Nigeria’s vast cultural assets, tourism destinations and creative talents can only translate into sustainable economic value through professionalism, regulation and globally accepted operational standards.
She noted that tourism and hospitality industry remains one of the fastest-growing sectors globally, contributing significantly to employment generation, foreign exchange earnings and cultural diplomacy.
Musawa explained  that NIHOTOUR Establishment Act has expanded the institute’s mandate beyond training, positioning it as a regulatory and certification authority for hospitality, tourism and travel practitioners in the country.
“No sector can attain sustainable growth without structure, standards, institutional coordination and skilled professionals,” she said, stressing the need for stronger collaboration between government agencies, operators, training institutions and private sector stakeholders.
In his keynote address, the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of NIHOTOUR, Abisoye Fagade, described the event as a historic turning point in the formalisation of Nigeria’s tourism and hospitality industry.
Fagade said the induction of practitioners, conferment of fellowships and inauguration of the HTSSCN governing boards marked the beginning of a new era of institutional governance, professional recognition and sector-wide coordination.
“Regulation and standardisation are no longer optional; they are economic necessities if Nigeria truly intends to compete globally,” he stated.
By:  Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
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Oil & Energy

Big Oil Reconsiders Previously Unattractive Destinations

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7 days ago

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May 18, 2026

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The Middle Eastern crisis has prompted a reprioritization among international oil companies. Previously unattractive drilling destinations are suddenly looking quite attractive—even Alaska.
The oldest oil and gas producing part of the United States has for years been out of the spotlight as the industry moves to cheaper and faster-growing locations. The only news of any substance about Alaska recently was the Biden administration’s approval of the Willow project, led by ConocoPhillips, which was set to boost the state’s oil output by 160,000 barrels daily, and Australian Santos’ Pikka project, set to start commercial production this year. That was years ago. Now, Big Oil is eager to drill in Alaska.
Earlier this month, a lease sale in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska attracted record bids, worth a total $163 million. Among the bidders were Exxon, Shell, and Repsol, with the latter already partnering with Santos on the Pikka development. And this may be just the beginning.
Related: Saudi Aramco Looks to Raise $10 Billion from Real Estate Asset Deal
The Bureau of Land Management offered 625 tracts across about 5.5 million acres for bid in the sale, revived at the end of last year by the Trump administration. No lease sales were held in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska under President Biden. Yet under Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill, there will be a total of five lease sales in Alaska over the next ten years.
“With the imminent start-up of the Pikka project on the North Slope, the reversal in the decline of oil production in the great state of Alaska is going to help put more oil in the Pacific area at an important moment,” Repsol’s head of upstream operations, Francisco Gea, said as quoted by the Financial Times. Gea called Alaska “a fantastic opportunity”. The Pikka project, which has a price tag of $4.5 billion, will produce up to 80,000 barrels daily.
It is indeed a fantastic opportunity, at the very least because it is nowhere near the Middle East and as such is a highly secure energy exploration destination. Canada is in a similar position, by the way: the head of the International Energy Agency earlier this month told an industry event Canada had a golden opportunity to step in as a secure energy supplier in a world that’s currently 14 million barrels daily short on supply because of the Middle Eastern crisis.
Security, then, is what has prompted Big Oil to return to the North—even Shell, which left in 2015 after writing off as much as $7 billion on an unsuccessful drilling campaign hampered, among other things, by strong environmentalist opposition. According to the Financial Times, the supermajor’s decision to partake in the latest Alaska lease sale was surprising for analysts.
However, according to chief executive Wael Sawan, the lease sale concerns a different part of the state. “It is a very, very, very different part of Alaska that we have gone to,” he told the Financial Times. “This is an onshore exploration opportunity in a very well-established basin that has been producing for some time… So this is not offshore Alaska where we have had the challenges in the past.”
Crude oil is not the only thing drawing the energy industry to Alaska in these times of oil and gas trouble. Gas is also a magnet—in this case, in the form of the Alaska LNG project. Interest in the Alaska LNG export project has spiked since the war in the Middle East choked 20% of global LNG supply and sent Asian buyers scrambling for expensive spot cargoes.
Glenfarne Group, the majority owner and developer of the facility, aims to sign binding offtake agreements with buyers soon and advance final investment decisions to later in 2026 and early 2027, company executives told media earlier this year on the sidelines of an energy conference in Tokyo.
“There’s a real interest, particularly with everything happening in the Middle East right now. Everyone would like to get those (preliminary deals) turned into long-term agreements,” Adam Prestidge, president of Glenfarne Alaska LNG, told Reuters in March.
Alaska LNG is designed to deliver North Slope natural gas to Alaskans and export LNG to U.S. allies across the Pacific. An 800-mile pipeline is planned to transport the gas from the production centers in the North Slope to south-central Alaska for exports. In addition, multiple gas interconnection points will ensure meeting in-state gas demand.
The latest Alaska developments show clearly how the Middle East war has put energy security back in the spotlight, making previously challenging locations desirable again. With an estimated 1 billion barrels of oil supply wiped out of markets since the war began, according to Aramco’s Amin Nasser, alternative supply sources have become urgently needed, and not just for the short term. Even if the Strait of Hormuz reopens soon—which at the moment seems unlikely—energy security will in all probability remain a top priority both for energy producers and for consumers.
By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com
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