By Abisola THOMPSON
The Honourable Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu on Tuesday, 2nd April 2019 was re-elected as the President of African Petroleum Producers’ Organization (APPO) till December 2019 in a move that will allow him to conclude the ongoing reforms and restructuring of the Organization. This marks a historical moment for the Organization as it is the first time that a country and a minister is allowed to provide its leadership direction, three times within three years in a period of five years. The superlative restructuring works that Dr. Kachikwu and Nigeria have orchestrated were unanimously endorsed by all members of the Council of Ministers.
The reelection took place during the 36th Ordinary Session of the Council of Ministers of the APPO which held in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea under the high patronage of H.E. Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, the President of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea. The session had in attendance, APPO Ministers drawn from thirteen member countries; namely, Algeria, Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Congo, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Libya, Niger, and Nigeria.
In his validation speech, Dr. Kachikwu enthused the unalloyed support that he has received from the members of the Council while affirming his commitment to making deep and sustained reforms that will not only guide its members to make the best returns in its energy business but also firmly reposition APPO as a global force.
It would be recalled that the Organization under the leadership of Dr. Kachikwu, recently announced its readiness to mobilize over $2 billion in resources to fund infrastructural collaboration in Africa in an applauded and lofty effort to develop the hydrocarbons sector. This recent reelection will see Dr. Kachikwu complete the ongoing reforms that will emplace APPO towards leaving a lasting legacy that will ensure that Africans benefit from the continent’s hydrocarbon resources.
Dr. Kachikwu expressed his gratitude to the Republic of Equatorial Guinea and the host Minister, H.E. Gabriel Obiang Lima for the excellent hospitality shown to the delegation and commended the world-class project execution of the APPO CAPE VII Congress and Exhibition.
