By Ndubuisi Micheal Obineme
The 3rd West African Petroleum Exhibition and Conference with the theme: “INNOVENTION – SUSTAINING SUB-SAHARAN OIL AND GAS PRODUCTION THROUGH INNOVATION AND COLLABORATION was the most successful meeting place for Sub-Saharan Africa’s oil and gas industry.
Industry players from NOC’s and IOC’s are looking at further collaboration, innovation and best practices across Sub-Saharan Africa.
In their speeches, they stated that African countries need to work together, focus more on collaborative measures and strategies that will position the region to compete globally.
Dr. Ulf Henning Richter, Founder and CEO, Richterion Limited stressed that despite the challenges Africa faces, there is still unparalleled opportunities in the region. But, sustaining the oil and gas production, there should be strategic innovations put in place that will change the market dynamics with other action plans by the African government to overcoming the vandalism and security challenges.
DR IBRAHIMA DIABY Chief Executive Officer, Société Nationale d’Opérations Pétrolières de la Côte d’Ivoire (Petroci) commented: “There should be open investment opportunities across the African countries. Collaborative exchange of the huge resource base on experience and development are important to Africa’s oil and gas industry and the more we collaborate at meetings like WAIPEC, the greater value will be delivered to the people to ease business migration”
MR OMAR MITHA Chairman/CEO, Empresa Nacional de Hidrocarbonetos (ENH), noted that the future of energy in Sub-Saharan Africa is bright especially with offshore exploration development. “Collaboration should be across all segments of the industry; from ideas sharing to human resource exchange, WAIPEC is the platform we have all been looking to convene at.”
While speaking about onshore and offshore hydrocarbon activities, they highlighted that in order for Sub-Saharan Africa to compete globally and attract investments in hydrocarbon, there is need to have a working synergy between the government, companies and host communities with a clear definition of the owner of the resources effective partnership with small players in the industry.
“Updating skills sets and collaborate to educate key stakeholders on key judicial and security issues including host communities relations are a key factor that should be addressed.”