A TECHNICAL team to see the possibility of refining crude oil in Niger Republic by the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company (KRPC) may be underway by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), it was learnt yesterday.
NNPC’s Group Managing Director Dr. Maikanti Baru stated this after a bilateral discussion with Republic of Niger’s Minister of Energy and Oil Foumakoye Gado in Abuja.
A statement by the corporation quoted the NNPC helmsman as saying: “We plan to set up the technical team to review the possibilities of how crude oil will be supplied to the Kaduna Refinery. Being bilateral, there are going to be two teams as discussed by the Minister of State, Petroleum Resources and the Minister of Energy and Oil of Niger.
“There will be steering committee comprising some Ministers and a technical committee which will involve the NNPC and the Nigerien Ministry of Energy and Oil and their operators.”
According to the statement, Nigeria is to collaborate with its Republic of Niger neighbour in the area of sharing of geological data to further boost the ongoing exploratory activities in the Chad Basin and Benue Trough.
He noted that there is an understanding between the NNPC and the Republic of Niger to share data on the exploratory activities in the Chad Basin and the Benue Trough and to tap into that country’s experience.
The NNPC chief has described the Amnesty Programme as critical towards a lasting peace in the Niger Delta region.
Baru made this known while hosting the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Brig.-Gen. Paul Boroh in his office at the NNPC Towers, Abuja, yesterday.
The GMD told Boroh: “The Amnesty Programme is key in restoring peace to the Niger Delta.”
He restated the Corporation’s commitment to collaboration with relevant stakeholders towards developing the Niger Delta region.
Baru, who observed that insecurity has affected NNPC’s operations especially in the region, stressed further that with relative peace now coming back to the region, the NNPC will ramp up its oil and gas production to be able to deliver on its mandate to the nation.
Responding, the Nigerien Energy Minister said his mission in Nigeria was to discuss issues of interest especially in the area of the oil sector with the NNPC, adding that the procurement of crude oil for Kaduna refinery and its practicability is being worked out.
Gado said: “One of the aims of this visit is to share geological information for us to draw the best profit out of the exploratory efforts.
Speaking earlier, Boroh said they were in NNPC to share some of the success stories of the programme especially in terms of human capital development of the various beneficiaries of the Amnesty Programme.
According to Boroh, the Programme has trained over fifteen thousand ex-agitators in various skills and trades, adding that about 14 of them graduated with First Class from various universities both in Nigeria and abroad.
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