Vice-President Jonathan solicits more jobs for Niger Delta youths
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Aug 7, 2007, 13:03

Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan has again called on oil companies, government agencies, states and local government councils within the Niger Delta to do more to ease the sufferings of the youths in the through employment generation and community based projects.

This is just as he warned that Government might consider legislation to compel multinationals to invest in local technological development and research in the oil and gas sector in order to support its growth and modernization in the industry.

The Vice-President, who spoke on August 6 in Abuja while declaring open the 31st Annual Conference and Exhibition of the Nigeria Society of Petroleum Engineers, observed that just as employment for the youths would bring peace to the Niger Delta region, “a situation where nearly every material has been sourced abroad for over 50 years of oil exploration in Nigeria is unacceptable”.

He stressed that “while government is doing all within its power to address the volatile situation in the Niger Delta region, all stakeholders in the region must appreciate each other’s position and resolve the issues amicably”.

He observed that “while government is doing all within its power to address the volatile situation in the Niger Delta region, all stakeholders in the region must appreciate each other’s position and resolve the issues amicably”.

While commending companies that have maintained their investments in the Oil, Gas and Energy sectors even with the obvious challenges in the region, the Vice President disclosed that incentives had been put in place to encourage investors willing to partner with government to ensure rapid growth in their chosen fields.

He added that government had embarked on several gas commercialization and utilization projects while new ones were being planned; and admonished Nigerians not to lose sight of the fact that the increasing tension and uncertainties in other oil producing areas of the world has made attention to be shifted to Nigeria and the Gulf of Guinea as major alternatives of oil supplies.

In this regard, he noted that Nigeria’s greatest challenge presently is to increase the reserve and production level of her oil and gas to meet both local and global demand.

Dr. Jonathan challenged the Society of Engineers to deliberate and come up with ideas on how government can encourage operators in the sector to be more aggressive in exploration activities, saying that advanced technology would aid the unearthing of more discoveries that would continue to make the Niger Delta relevant.

Earlier, the Chairman and Group Managing Director of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Engr. Funso Kupolokun commended Government for boldly confronting the problems of the Niger Delta through dialogue with the militants and the Vice President’s recent visit to their camps.

The Managing Director/Country Chairman of Shell Companies in Nigeria, Mr. Basil Omiyi also at the occasion decried the unrealistic low quota which Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) allocates to Nigeria.

He advocated a negotiation with OPEC to ensure increase in quota to enable realization of the country’s full potential through the sale of more petroleum products.

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