Minister Hails Oil Firm For Promoting Host Communities’ Cultural Heritage

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has commended the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) and Joint Venture partners for promoting the cultural heritage of its host communities in Bayelsa, Delta, Imo and Rivers States.
The minister made the commendation during the maiden edition of NAOC JV Host Community Day 2019, with the theme “Promoting Our Cultural Heritage”, at Agip Base in Port Harcourt, last Thursday.
He said that NAOC, through the cultural festival had given the host communities the opportunity to showcase their cultural heritage and in a way reconnect them to their roots, adding that the event had also restored their moral values and self esteem, as a recipe to avert anti-social activities and criminal tendencies.
The minister said the cultural event would also create job opportunities for the youth, stimulate cultural activities on a commercial scale and assist in curbing youth restiveness, pipeline vandalism and bunkering in the oil and gas industry.
Muhammed disclosed that the Federal Government had worked out necessary legal framework to launch the National Policy on Culture and National Policy on Tourism, and had also finalised, financial work on the Motion Picture Council of Nigeria (MOPICON) Bill, with a view to creating proper regulatory environment for the sub-sector to thrive.
In his welcome address, the Stakeholders Management and Community Development Division Manager, NAOC, Dennis Mazi, pointed out that the maiden edition of NAOC Host Community Day was the first ever in the history of Eni in Nigeria.
He said the primary objective of the event was to sustain business environment within the host communities in the areas of operation, as well as strengthen the existing cordial relationship with them for sustainable development.
The General Manager, District, of NAOC, Tiani Alessandro, said the event was introduced to promote and preserve the rich cultural heritage of the communities in their areas of operation.
Alessandro said Eni had, over the years, carried out corporate social responsibilities in its host communities through various human and socio-economic programmes and “we recognise that communities are unique by their culture and culture holds the key to identity, oneness, integration, growth and ultimate development”.