As more countries all over the world are thinking towards the using alternative source of energy, the Federal Government on Mondays says it was determined to take full advantage of crude oil resources in the country to diversify the economy.
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva made this known at a two-day International Conference on Hydrocarbon Science & Technology (ICHST) held at the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI) Conference Centre, Effurun-Warri, Delta State.
The minister who was represented by the Technical Assistant to the Honorable Minister of State for Petroleum Resources on Niger Delta Matters, Felix Brisibe, said the Federal Government was aware of the need for the country to plan beyond oil in order to avert the inevitable decline in oil and gas reserves and demands.
Svlva said the theme of the conference, “Oil & Beyond Oil: Strategies, Policies and Technologies to Assure National Energy Security,” and organised by PTI as part of a weeklong 2019 Convocation Ceremony, was apt.
Brisibe, who spoke to journalists at the sidelines of the conference, said if Nigeria does not begin to plan for the future beyond oil, the country will soon experience a situation whereby demand for oil will continue to decline as much as the reserve.
“Clearly, there’s a fact that we have a clear strategic mandate from the presidency to the ministry as to the preparation system to the next level, how we will be able to grow the economy is by taking full advantage of the oil resources and the revenue we have here,” Brisibe said.
On assurance that resolutions reached at the end of the conference would be implemented by the Federal Government, Brisibe said, “By and large, what I’m trying to say is that the recommendation and strategic initiatives that will be arrived at from this conference will be communicated to the Honorable Minister so that he can also articulate it, present it to the presidency and it will form part of the strategic focus with respect to Mr President’s agenda for the next level.”
On his part, Prof. Christopher Orubu of the Department of Economics, Delta State University, Abraka, while presenting a paper titled, “Petroleum and the Development of the Nigerian Economy: What went wrong after six decades?, he said Nigeria must build strong institutions if it wants to use oil to develop the country.
He urged the Federal Government to encourage the private sector to oversee the economy but warned that it must formulate guiding policies that everybody must obey.
The Operations Controller, Warri Zonal office of the DPR, Mr Antai Asuquo, said Energy Security was a key driver to a sustainable economy.
Asuquo, who was represented by Victor Owojasa of the DPR Warri, said securing the energy sector will bring about the security of other sectors of the economy.
“Securing the energy sector will result in security for other sectors of the economy. Being energy secure means we most have a back up plan like security of energy supply and we also need to ask the question, Is it affordable and available?
“From our statistics we know that the amount of petrol we produce locally is less than what we import from outside,” Asuquo said.
Earlier, the principal of PTI, Prof Sunny Iyuke, in his welcome address, said the event would form a part of the platform for the exchange of knowledge and sharing of experiences of hydrocarbon technology.
Francis Sadhere, Warri
