Calabar: In a powerful call for transformation, Senate President Godswill Akpabio has urged youths of the Niger Delta to shift from agitation to intellectual advocacy as a means of driving regional development.
Akpabio made his remark at a two-day Niger Delta Oil and Gas Investment and Security Summit, held from August 29 to August 30 in Calabar.
The summit was themed, “Constructive Engagement for the Protection of Oil and Gas Assets and Supporting Institutions to Drive Implementation of Extent Laws to Deepen Local Content Realisation.”
The Senate President was represented by Sen. Benson Agadaga, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Oil and Gas Host Communities.
He said the people of the Niger Delta should be known for their intellectual engagement to get things right, rather than just lamentation and agitation.
He said that it was through such a summit that ideas were shared, enabling them to move forward, develop their environment, and build their communities.
Akpabio added that the laws were in place, but the people of the region must rise to bring them to life.
According to him, the oil industry has numerous laws, but their implementation rests with us.
“It is a thing of joy that we now have the Petroleum Industry Act, which specifies many functions for us.
Akpabio stated that the provisions of the Local Content Act and the Environmental Content Development and Monitoring Act could be leveraged by the people for their progress.
He urged the people not only to take advantage of the provisions but also to seize the opportunity and invest in the oil and gas industry.
“There is nothing wrong if two or three people, or organisations, come together to form their own company to invest in the oil and gas sector of the region,” he said.
On his part, Mr Ekpirikpe Ekpo, Minister of State for Petroleum Gas, highlighted the various Federal Government investments in the oil and gas sector, including the gas-to-methanol plant in Bayelsa.
Represented by his Senior Technical Advisor, Mr Abel Nsa, Ekpo noted that Cross River was strategically located to attract methanol projects.
He explained that developing a methanol plant in the state would create jobs and promote technology transfer.
He stated that it would also position the state as a hub for gas-based industrialisation.
Ekpo said that Cross River had enormous gas export potential due to the Eastern Horizon Pipeline.
He explained that gas was being transported from Akwa Ibom through a valve station connected to the Obigbo-Aba line, which extended to Cross River and terminated at UniCem, a factory in Mfamosin, Cross River.
“This infrastructure creates a unique opportunity for Cross River to serve as a gateway for gas exports to Cameroon and the broader Central African markets.
“By leveraging this corridor, Nigeria can generate significant foreign exchange revenues, strengthen regional energy security, and position Calabar as a true export hub,” he said
Ekpo, however, added that all of those opportunities depended on securing the nation’s assets.
He added that oil theft, pipeline vandalism, and sabotage were not only threatening revenue but also eroding investors’ confidence.
Dr Chinedu Ogwus, a member of the International Society of Petroleum Engineers, stated that the challenges in the Niger Delta were caused by poor leadership and the nation’s justice system.
Ogwus, who is also the Regional Director of Africa Robotics and Autonomous Systems, said the nation could drastically reduce insecurity in the region by simply investing in technology and engaging the youth to keep them busy.
He said there was nothing wrong with giving them scholarships and jobs instead of the expatriates, and developing the region’s infrastructure, since a large portion of the nation’s resources came from there.
