Country Could Be Oil And Gas Hub in Gulf of Guinea - Addax Boss
Daily Trust (Abuja)
NEWS
11 June 2008
Posted to the web 11 June 2008
By Mohammed Shosanya
Lagos
Nigeria has the potential to become the hub of oil and gas activities in the Gulf of Guinea with effective development and promotion of the country's resources, Managing Director of Addax Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria, Vance Querio has said.
Vance disclosed this weekend in his address at the Vision 2020: Youth Empowerment and Restoratiion Initiative programme which was co-sponsored by his company and Lonadek Oil and Gas Consultants.
According to him"It is for this reason that we are partnering with the Vision 2020:Youth Empowerment and Restoration Initiative to guarantee that this potential translates to reality through youth empowerment.
"Through this programme, we are determined and assured that by the year 2020,we would have motivated many of you to become professionals, vocationals and entrepreneurs taking up key job positions and responsibilities in the oil and gas sector".
While admonishing the youths to harness the opportunity created by the programme to add value to the country's economy, the Addax boss also said his company would continue to support and comply with government policy objectives which according to him, include promotion of local content, employment of indigenous staff and patronage of local contractors.
"In this regard, we are proud that more than 90 percent of Addax Petroleum employees in Nigeria are Nigerian citizens. In addition, the company's community relations policy promotes infrastructure development projects and education programmes".
In her address, the Managing Director of Lonadel Oil and Gas Consultants, Mrs Ibilola Amao, explained that the Vision 2020:Youth Empowerment and Restorative Initiative programme was borne out of the need to fill a gap in awareness creation, career counselling and youth development opportunities.
"We at Lonadek have committed ourselves to partnering with government, private sector, our clients, colleagues and friends to birth a new dawn and re-orientate our youths in systematic manner which will add immense value to our developing nation", she said.
According to the Lonadek boss, the disappearance of career counsellors in schools, non-functional laboratories has given room for the inability of youths to sharpen their creative skills for the development of the nation.
"How can we expect to have a better tomorrow in Nigeria if we fail to eradicate these anomalies?", she queried.
However, she said, "We require medium to long-term plans to develop future leaders, strategic thinkers and planners who will make Nigeria a top 20 country by the year 2020.We desire to see entrepreneurs and captains of industry who are driven by a passion to make a difference rather than the desire to acquire and amass wealth for generations unborn. We are looking to develop those who will work hard for the common good of all and transformation and restoration of our great country Nigeria".
