18 August 2015, Warri – Determined to play an active role in the oil industry, Host Communities of Nigeria (Producing Oil and Gas), HOSTCOM, is to partner foreign investors to set up a modular refinery in Nigeria. –
National chairman, HOSTCOM, Bishop Mike Emu, who disclosed this at a meeting of the oil communities in Warri, Delta State, said the plan was to get the project delivered within two years of getting all necessary industry approval.
Emu said: “Oil and gas producing communities are going beyond being nominal host of the oil resources and facilities to becoming participating stakeholders with sustainable equities to guarantee more returns on our God given resources to better develop our communities.
“The engagement with our foreign partners has been fruitful. The stage we are now is getting the necessary government backing and industry regulators’ approval and HOSTCOM will have a viable modular refinery to serve our people and contribute to eradicating dependence on importation of fuel in Nigeria.”
He added that negotiation was on with other foreign partners for the establishment of a HOSTCOM University of Oil and Gas to build technical capacity among indigenes of host communities so that they can compete at the highest level and among the best human resources in the industry.
He said already HOSTCOM was pushing near ownership of a micro finance bank as a tool for exploring business and project financing opportunities for the people in the oil producing areas.
– Vanguard