Sallah Holidays: MARAN Seminar on Local Content now August 28

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Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode, Lagos State Governor

Maritime Reporters
Association of Nigeria (MARAN) has announced a shift in the date of its
proposed two-day sensitisation seminar on local content development in the oil
and gas and shipping industry.

The event which was billed
to be chaired by the Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode and co-chaired by
the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki was initially scheduled to hold on
Tuesday 21st of August 2018.

However, in a press
statement issued in Lagos on Thursday by the Secretary General of MARAN, Dapo Olawuni , the association announced that the event would now hold on August 28th 2018 at the Rockview Hotel in Apapa Lagos.

Olawuni said “MARAN
craves the understanding of all maritime, oil and gas industry stakeholders on
the shift in date of this event, in view of the Sallar holidays, the shift in
date is inevitable.

“The new date is also
to allow for a robust participation and attendance, especially our revered
stakeholders and policy makers whose position papers must be carried on that
set date.”

Olawuni said the event is
targeted at encouraging Nigerians to be fully integrated in the oil and gas
logistics operation particularly in the upstream sector.

He noted that a special
focus is being placed on the EGINA Floating Production Storage and Offloading
(FPSO) platform recently delivered by TOTAL Nigeria Limited.

The two days seminar is tagged
“Local Content Development in Shipping, Oil and Gas Logistics Operations
in Nigeria.”

Already, he said that the
Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode has indicated his interest to
participate in the program as the state has recently joined the list of oil
producing states in Nigeria.

In the same vein, Olawuni
said special focus is equally on Edo State which has signed a memorandum of
understanding with a consortium of Chinese and African companies for the
construction of a 5,500 barrel per day modular refinery, states first
refinery.

Maritime and Oil and Gas
dignitaries billed to speak at the event include the Executive Secretary of
Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring board, Mr Simbi Wabote, Group
Managing Director of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporations, Maikanti Baru,
the Managing Director of Oil and Gas Free Zone Authority, Umunna Okon Umunna,
as well as the Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and
Safety Agency (NIMASA) Dakuku Peterside.

Others are; Managing
Director of Lagos Deep Offshore Logistics Base (LADOL) Mrs Emmy Jadesinmi,
Group General Manager of National Petroleum Investment Management Services
(NAPIMS) Mr. Roland Ewubare, Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority
(NPA) Hadiza Bala Usman, Nigerian Association of Master Mariners, Nigerian
Shipowners Association (NISA) among others.

The MARAN secretary stated that “As maritime journalists, we believe that the benefits
of Nigeria’s participation in the oil and gas logistics operation would add to
the multiplier effects in employment opportunities, capacity building,
technology transfer, cost-saving and reduction in capital flight.

“It will in addition
make Nigeria an oil and gas hub in the West African subaregion.”

Olawuni also said that the
event would further showcase the importance of the shipping sector to the oil
and gas industry and the need for more Nigerians to be aware and take advantage
of opportunities in the local content law, the Cabotage Act among others.

He said that MARAN is the
umbrella body of all maritime journalists in Nigeria and the association has
existed for the past 30 years, thus carrying out the noble objective
of agenda setting for critical stakeholders and the federal government towards
enhancing policy formulation and implementation.