Members of the House of Representatives Committee on Local Content paid a courtesy visit to the Managing Director of Total E&P Nigeria Limited, Mr. Nicolas Terraz.
The Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Emmanuel Ekon who led about 12 other members of the Committee on the visit, said it was a “friendly visit and not an oversight visit to Total.”
“As a Committee, we are impressed with what Total has done in Nigeria in the last 50 years, we are impressed with your contributions to the development of our oil and gas industry; the training of Nigerians and the transfer of technology to Nigerians,” Hon. Ekon said.
He added that the Nigerian Government was ready to work with foreign companies who are ready to abide by the laws of Nigeria. “The parliament is ready to support any investor that will bring value to the country …and abide by the laws of Nigeria,” he stressed.
In his welcome remark, the Managing Director, Mr. Nicolas Terraz explained Total’s activities in Nigeria and the huge bouquet of projects that are contributing to the socio-economic development of the country.
Mr. Terraz told the Honourable Members of Parliament that “in the past five years Total has invested $5 billion in Nigeria” despite the fairly challenging business environment due to the fall in oil prices.
He further shed some light on the progress the company has made on its major projects such as the OML 58 Upgrade, Ofon Phase 2 and Egina that are contributing substantially to the development of Nigerian content. He added that Total will from later this month July, 2016 commence delivery of gas through its Northern Option Pipeline (NOPL) to Alaoji power plant to improve electricity supply to Nigerians.
Also speaking, the Deputy Managing Director Deep Water District, Mr. Ahmadu-Kida Musa expressed the company’s commitment to the development of local content and the overall development of the country.
“As at the time we approved the Egina Project, all the other oil companies were running from Nigeria. When we took the bold step, others were asking what we were seeing that they were not seeing and for Total, it was our absolute belief in Nigeria and Nigerians’ ability to manage the project. After three years we are exceptionally proud of the project,” Mr. Musa said.
Other members of the Total team that received the visiting law makers were the Executive Director Oil & Gas Commercial, Mr. Patrick Olinma; Executive General Manager CSR & Medical, Mr. Vincent NNADI; Executive General Manager Administration Deep Water District, Ms. Chinyere Uche; Executive General Manager, Authorities & Regulatory Agencies Coordination, Mr. Olalere BABASOLA, Deputy General Manager Eko Tower Facility Management, Mr. Eric Ajari; Deputy General Manager Media & Public Affairs, Mr. Charles Ogan, Public Affairs Manager, Deepwater District, Mr. Cornelius OKORO; and Government Relations & Media Officer, Deepwater District, Mrs. Irene Jerry-Iyoha.
