Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, is billed to lead discussion on the available and emerging investment opportunities in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, at the upcoming Nigerian Oil and Gas Opportunity Fair, NOGOF, in Bayelsa State.
Kachikwu’s participation in NOGOF, which is scheduled to hold on the 4th and 5th April 2019, at the new headquarters building of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, NCDMB, in Yenagoa, was confirmed on Friday, 15 March 2019, according to the Executive Secretary of the board, Engr. Simbi Wabote.
Wabote 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.
He said the theme of this year’s edition is “Maximizing Investments into the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry for the benefit of the Nigerian People,” NOGOF is a fair that would serve brands, investors and stakeholders to connect with existing and prospective clients through networking opportunities, and directly reach leaders who contribute to shaping Nigeria’s oil, gas-LNG, and energy future.
According to him, “NOGOF would serve as a forum to share information about available opportunities to investors who had established fabrication yards, engineering houses, pipe mills, pipe coating yards, cable manufacturing, and other facilities since the implementation of the Nigerian Content Act in 2010.
“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.”
Wabote further 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.
“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 the 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.
