Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr Maikanti Baru, has urged African countries to collaborate and increase trade with one another. Baru made the appeal while delivering a goodwill message at the opening ceremony of the maiden edition of the Nigeria International Petroleum Summit (NIPS), in Abuja.
” I want to say that it is high time that African countries collaborate and trade among one another not only in terms of oil and gas but other key sectors. One of the key take-always from an event as this is the networking opportunities and the strategic partnerships we make to better not just our industry but also our respective economies.
”No one will do it for us, the onus lies on us to do it for ourselves,” Baru said. According to him, the summit’s action points will be developed and crystallised into a veritable roadmap for the future of the industry. As I scanned through the list of invited speakers and panelists, I am convinced we will be able to frame new strategies and come up with practicable solutions for effectively developing Africa’s hydrocarbon resources.
The inaugural NIPS is designed to be the African version of the annual Offshore Technology Conference where breakthrough technologies in oil and gas are unveiled. The NIPS, a five-day event, has the theme: ”Leading Africa’s response to global oil and gas challenges”. The Secretaries-General of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum ( OPEC) , African Petroleum Producers Organisation (APPO) , International Energy Forum (IEF),the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, among others were in attendance.
