Four members of the Women in Energy Network, WIEN led by Mrs. Funmi Ogbue have been Inaugurated into the Diversity SWG these includes; Alero Onosode representing Seplat Petroleum Development Company; Patricia Simon Hart, representing Aftrac Limited; Pricilla Thorpe-Monclus, representing Mrs Oil Limited and Audrey Joe-Ezigbo, representing Falcon Oil and Gas Corporation Limited.
The creation of the diversity SWG is a product from the Women in Oil & Gas workshop organized by the Board in October 2019, the diversity SWG is to encourage the participation of women in the industry as well as to promote an all inclusive gender policies.
While inaugurating the new sectoral groups of the Gas Value Chain Group SWG, the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDM, Simbi Kesiye Wabote, says the future of fossil fuels will maximize gas development and utilization in the country.
According to him, Nigeria had about 203 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of gas reserves saying that the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva had at the beginning of the year declared 2020 as the Year of Gas.
Mr. Wobote said the Board held a virtual engagement of the Nigerian Content Consultative Forum (NCCF),
a body set up by the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act to facilitate collaboration of stakeholders and development of ideas for the advancement of Nigerian Content in the Oil and Gas Industry.
He disclosed that the country was developing various projects to promote commercialization and utilization of gas adding that the Board was in support of the minister’s vision in areas of LPG penetration by investing in RUNGAS to promote local production of gas cylinders in Polaku, Bayelsa State.
“There is a very hard drive within the Ministry of Petroleum Resources for LPG penetration in the country. We at NCDMB is also partnering and encouraging the establishment of LPG depot in Nigeria because of the opportunities we see. Most of these projects are in motion and actively supported by the ministry”.
Wabote announced that a portion of the Nigerian Content Intervention Fund (NCIF) domiciled with the Bank of Industry will set aside to support women operating in the Oil & Gas industry,stressing that section 57 and 58 of the NOGICD Act 2010 supported the creation of a robust platform for sharing information and to serve as ‘think-tank’ to develop policies and implement frameworks that will achieve sustainable development of the Nigerian content in oil sector.
Wabote charged the members of the two sectorial groups to be proactive and develop recommendations that the Board can implement, adding that the sector engender greater growth of the economy. In his words, ”I am convinced that if we mainstream women in the oil and gas industry, we are going to achieve a lot.”
Other members inaugurated into the diversity SWG are Michele Aiyegbusi, representing SLC Resources Limited; Nkechi Obi, representing Techno Oil Limited; Margaret Okojokwu, representing Majorwaves Energy Report, Anita Okuribido from Similling Simon Limited and Oladunni Owo, representing Blackgold Authorities.
The members of the Gas Value Chain SWG are Lanre Runsewe from Rungas Industries Limited; Nuhu Yakubu, representing Nigeria LP Gas Association (NLPGA); Taji Ogbe, representing Nigeria Gas Association (NGA) and Bassey Essien, representing Nigerian Association of LPG Marketers.
Other members are Frank Ibi from Nigeria Gas Company Limited (NGC); Charles Epelle from the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Company (NLNG) and Mohammed Ahmed from the Nigeria Gas Marketing Limited.
Highlights of the meeting was the inauguration of two new NCCF Sectorial Working Groups by the Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Engr. Simbi Kesiye Wabote.
The two new groups are the Gas Value Chain SWG and the Diversity SWG, bringing the number of NCCF sectorial groups to twelve.
