Kachikwu in Yenagoa, says Nigeria needs to change tactics

 In a thought-provoking speech at the Nigeria Oil and Gas Opportunity Fair(NOGOF) holding in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital, the Minister of State for Petroleum,  Dr  Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu has challenged players in the Nigerian oil industry to brace up to take the destiny in their own hands and take Nigeria to the height of development.

According to him, Nigeria should no longer be shy to dream big and make giant strides that would truly define the eminent position the country is supposed to occupy in the world.

Kachikwu who told participants at the fair with the theme “Maximising Investments in the Oil and Gas Industry for the Benefit of the Nigeria People” to stop “celebrating mediocrity” added that although appreciable progress had been made with the innovation achieved by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration, such successes were not enough compared to the huge potentials in the oil and gas industry.

He stated that by the eminent position Nigeria occupies in Africa, it should be the number one investor in Africa leading the way for others to follow.

“Why is that despite all that has been said, we continue to be underdeveloped even in the oil and gas sector? We continue to underachieve.  Why is that we have abandoned the dream of producing four million barrels as part of our national direction to now continuously hovering between 1.9 million and 2 million of oil?  Why are we not able to lead investors and producers that are ravaging all over Africa? Why are we not taking over from the multinationals that have been here for 50 years? Why are we not generating one single oil company that transcends operations all over Africa? Why are we continuing to accommodate decayed infrastructure in the oil sector, pipelines that have decayed, 50 years-old, leaking pipelines, and non-functioning refineries? Why are we today facing the threat of divestment? Why are we bold policy shy?   Why are the oil producing communities still feeling disenfranchised, not taken along and underdeveloped? Why are we resource development shy?

In as much as we want to celebrate our achievements, the reality is that we are still at the tipping edge of developmental progress. We should be producing over four million barrels; we should be producing enough gas to power this country. We should have rapidly- developing infrastructure. We should be able to transfuse into the African continent and be the lead investor. We should lead the way; we should lead the pack.  Something is fundamentally wrong with what we are doing.”

He advocated that Nigeria should not be shy to embrace the future and the challenges it poses as a way to bring development to Nigerians.