Sen. Margery Chuba-Okadigbo, Chairman of the Board of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Ltd., on Monday commended the Nigerian delegation at the 2022 Offshore Technology Conference (OTC), in Houston, Texas, United States.
Chuba-Okadigbo gave the commendation while declaring open the OTC Nigerian exhibition pavilion at the conference.
She expressed her excitement toward declaring the pavilion open, saying that it was a thing of joy and pride that Nigeria is well represented at the conference.
The theme of the Nigerian exhibition pavilion is, “Energy Transition and the Future of Africa,” organised by the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN).
The OTC is a platform where energy professionals across the globe meet to exchange ideas and opinions to advance scientific and technical knowledge for offshore resources.
“I am delighted to declare this exhibition open. Again, it’s a thing of joy and pride to see you Nigerians well represented in foreign countries,” she said.
Earlier in his opening remarks, the Chairman of PETAN, Mr Nicolas Odinuwe, said that the theme was carefully chosen to “reflect the current realities in African oil and gas.”
Odinuwe called on Nigerian oil and gas industry leaders to continue to echo PETAN’s calls to deepen Nigerian content as always and implored NNPC Ltd. board and others to indulge the association.
“OTC means different things to different people. But thanks to PETAN’s focused participation.
“PETAN and Nigeria have built capacities, capabilities and visibility. PETAN has been the host of the Nigerian Pavilion for over 15 years.
“And we have been fully supported by the NNPC (now NNPC Limited) who are in transition.
“We are here to continue to propagate, advocate and advance technology that has led to Nigeria being the only country in Sub-Saharan Africa with a robust exploration and production service industry,” he said.
According to the Chairman, OTC gives attendees access to leading-edge technical information.
He said, “The benefits of the OTC 2022 event includes showcasing companies’ capabilities to over 1,000 delegates and over 250 companies in the oil and gas Industry.
“Also to give exhibitors the chance to promote their products and services to operators and contractors in the local region.
“Other benefits include gaining access by organisations to the latest industry news, a presence at one of the world’s largest oil and gas events and access to networking opportunities with professional contacts from across the world.
“Networking with the upstream, midstream and downstream organisations as well as high profiled government officials and key decision makers in the industry.
“The conference will give participants the opportunity to build and establish new leads as well as entrenching a global presence in the industry.
“It will enable them to get familiar with competitors’ capabilities to stay ahead in the industry.”
Odinuwe said that PETAN had been responsible for leading and hosting the Nigerian government agencies, stakeholders, oil and gas companies and investors at the OTC yearly.
He said that among the reasons for OTC was to deliver a unique experience for exhibitors and delegates to interact with global professionals as they share their insights on technological advances, energy transition, safety, environmentally focused solutions, and economic and regulatory impacts of the offshore energy sector.
“Organisations’ attendance will create a chance to develop business relationships and tap into emerging regions that are vital to offshore development as well as obtaining recognition necessary for growth and visibility to thousands across the globe,” he added.
He recalled that at the OTC 2019, Nigeria had the fifth largest representation of over 60 participating countries.
“The value of participating organisations’ presence cannot be overestimated as they stand a chance to project their activities to investors and stakeholders spanning different countries.
“The event will feature, among others, the formal opening of the Nigerian exhibition pavilion in the NRG Park, the luncheon and panel sessions on the Nigerian energy and supportive industries; the Nigerian Industry Awards Dinner and Cocktail; side shows of Nigerian culture displays and entertainment; technical sessions and networking golf event,” he said.