DPR Positioning NOGEC to Become Africa’s Energy Hub
By Ndubuisi Micheal Obineme
SAIPEC 2021 – Following the establishment of the National Oil and Gas Excellence Centre (NOGEC) by President Muhammadu Buhari early this year, the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has reiterated its commitment to position the NOGEC to become Africa’s energy hub.
The NOGEC, located at the Lagos Annex of the Department of Petroleum Resources, would enhance safety, value and cost efficiency in Nigeria’s petroleum sector as well as strengthening the country’s position as a regional leader in the oil and gas industry.
In his keynote address at the 5th edition of the Sub-Saharan Africa International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference, SAIPEC, Engr. Sarki Auwalu, Director and CEO of DPR, said that the NOGEC serves as a one-stop shop to drive safety, cost efficiency, and value for the Nigerian oil and gas industry.
He further explained that NOGEC will serve as the oil and gas industry cost reduction centre and hub for industry best practices, technical support, and competence.
“NOGEP will also act as the oil and gas industry techno-economic bureau to support government and its entities on policy development and implementation.
“The centre has an integrated resource complex which is situated in Lagos. It comprises five integrated centres to drive safety, value, and cost-efficiency.
“These five integrated centres includes search, rescue and surveillance command and control centre, national improve oil recovery centre, alternative dispute resolution centre, competence development centre and integrated manning and analytic centre.
“These centres are available to the industry for shared knowledge, experience and know-how to collaborate, and provide solutions to pressing industry issues for the overall development of the industry and vehicle for regional integration in the oil and gas industry.
“NOGEC is also structured to host oil and gas business opportunities desk as a focal point to drive investment. This business opportunity desk is to see where the opportunities are and bring investors to partner across the segment of the value chain. It will give investors’ confidence, funders, financials, and participants a very transparent platform for participation.
“Also, the centre will house the secretariat of the African oil and gas regulators forum as a further step to entrench continental collaboration and developments in the face of global dynamics and pressure on fossil fuels.
“The oil and gas Africa’s regulator’s forum which DPR is working to establish is in line with the Africa free trade and we will be leveraging on the NOGEC to energise Africa as one of the energy hubs for the future.
While making his remarks about the event, Auwalu noted that the SAIPEC has emerged as an important platform for discussing regional issues, adding that the 5th edition of the SAIPEC is “both historic and monumental”.
He called on Africa to rise and tell its stories, noting that “only Africa can grow Africa.”
