NIES 2023: Professional Associations declare readiness for full participation

Professional and trade associations under the oil and gas value chain have declared their readiness to participate fully in the upcoming Nigeria International Energy Summit (NIES) scheduled to take place in Abuja from April 16th to 20th, 2023.

The associations include Independent Petroleum Producers Group (IPPG), Nigerian Gas Association (NGA), Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN), Petroleum Contractors Trade Section (PCTS), Nigerian LPG Association (NLPGA) and Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN). They made the declaration during a recent dinner for the foreign envoys in Nigeria hosted by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva.

“The NIES platform has enabled Nigeria to have a foothold on the gains of the global energy market which falls in in line with the objectives of the IPPG”, said Abdulrazaq Isa, Chairman IPPG. He also restated the group’s commitment towards ensuring that divested assets in Nigeria are harnessed by indigenous exploration and production companies. The IPPG helmsman also indicated the group’s willingness to assist African nations in harnessing their hydrocarbon resources.

In his own goodwill address at the dinner, the President of NGA, Ed Ubong, eulogized the NIES for its robust push of Nigeria’s gas agenda which culminated to a day in the summit calendar dedicated solely for gas.

“We will continue to support and be part of any initiative that promotes the utilisation of natural gas as the preferred energy source in Nigeria for the benefit of the nation and the various stakeholders in the Nigerian gas value chain”, Ubong said. He also called for inter-connection of pipeline infrastructure to drive gas development in Nigeria.

The Chairman Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN), Nik Odinuwe, commended the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources and all the parastatals under the Ministry for its organization of the annual energy summit and reiterated PETAN’s readiness to participate fully in the upcoming NIES 2023.

“PETAN’s aim is to bring together Nigerian Oil and Gas entrepreneurs to create a forum for the exchange of ideas with major operators and policy-makers and our objective keys into the NIES platform”, said Odinuwe.

Others who declared their readiness for full participation of the groups for the NIES 2023 include Tayo Akinwunmi, Chairman, PCTS; Felix Ekundayo, President, NLPGA and Olumide Adeosun, Chairman, MOMAN.

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva in his remarks stated that Nigeria will continue to use the Nigeria International Energy Summit (NIES) to push the country’s energy agenda as it continues to promote energy efficiency and renewable technologies.

“It is also fast becoming a platform for showcasing engineering and technological breakthroughs in the energy sector,” Sylva said. He also used the opportunity to talk about the positive developments in the energy industry under the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

“The Nigerian energy industry has undergone positive reforms with the passage of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021. The PIA 2021 has paved the way for new investment, created jobs, support economic and energy diversification and has placed Nigeria in a position of being able to not only meet our energy needs, but help support the world’s rising energy demands”, Sylva said adding that the Act has generous incentives to encourage the development, distribution, penetration, and utilisation of gas – as it incentivizes entry into the midstream, especially for investment in gas pipelines.