As work on drilling of the Ebenyi-A oil well in Obi local government area of Nasarawa State progresses, Governor Abdullahi Sule has inaugurated the state advisory and technical committee on oil and gas development.
The governor said during the inauguration that the aim of the committee is for the state to evolve measures to ensure collaboration with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and other stakeholders for seamless implementation of the project and ensure community participation.
He said the committee has the mandate to liaise with NNPCL to ensure seamless execution of the project; laisse with other relevant stakeholders in the industry; monitor and facilitate compliance with all oil and gas laws including seamless compensation of host communities and facilitate the execution of corporate social responsibilities to the host communities and the state.
Other responsibilities of the committee are to develop appropriate partnership and investment for the realization of the project for the mutual benefit of the state and investors in the project; determine the state’s participation in the form of investment in the project through shareholding of government and individuals for overall development and carry out any other responsibility as may be necessary in the interest of the project.
The NNPCL had in 2010 carried out several exploratory activities in some parts of Nasarawa State. The outcome of the activities resulted in the discovery of abundant hydrocarbon deposits, particularly in Obi and Keana local government areas of the state.
The effort climaxed in the commissioning of the Ebenyi-A oil well by former president Muhammadu Buhari in March 2023.
Governor Sule said study showed that the quantum of the reserve in Nasarawa State would further increase the national hydrocarbon reserve to about 50 billion barrels, while increasing the country’s oil production capacity to the target of three million barrels per day.
I have noted that the associated benefits of this project are in wealth creation, employment opportunity, revenue generation and economic growth for the state.
The committee has advisor/consultant, Chevron Corporation, Houston, Texas, Hussain Kasim as chairman while the secretary is Iliya Shedrach Appila, project manager, Kapoll E&P Nigeria Limited, Abuja.
