By Abisola THOMPSON
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu would lead discussions on the available and emerging investment opportunities in the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry, at the forthcoming Nigerian Oil and Gas Opportunity Fair (NOGOF).
The Minster’s participation was confirmed on Friday by the Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Engr. Simbi Kesiye Wabote. The event is scheduled to hold on April 4-5 2019, at the new 17 storey headquarters building of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
Wabote also disclosed that the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Maikanti Baru and chief executives of the international operating companies are also expected at the event.
According to him, NOGOF would be a forum to share information about available opportunities to investors who hadestablished fabrication yards, engineering houses, pipe mills, pipe coating yards, cable manufacturing and other facilities since the implementation of the Nigerian Content Act in 2010.
He added that “it is important for the investors and other stakeholders to have a line of sight to projects opportunities in the funnel so they can position themselves for the desired growth.’’
He explained that investments and service providers were stifled in the past due to lack of information on projects in the short, medium and long term. He added that “most often than not, by the time the opportunities come on the table the service providers will not be ready in terms of capacities to deliver the goods.
‘’The NOGOF is a platform we want to use to share the opportunities that are warehoused by the various international operating companies and indigenous operators. This would cover upstream, midstream and downstream business opportunities. It will address access to market, so that companies will know and understand what is coming and prepare themselves.
The maiden edition of NOGOF was held in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State in 2017 and was attended by over 1,200 delegates, 33 exhibitors, and witnessed presentation of industry opportunities covering engineering designs, pipeline construction, facility upgrades, and projects in the various sectors of the industry.
This theme of this year’s edition is “Maximizing Investments into the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry for the benefit of the Nigerian People.”
