Nigeria’s state oil company to help non-oil sectors attain competitive edge

Nigeria’s state oil company has expressed its commitment towards providing the necessary assistance for the country to attain a competitive edge in non-oil sectors of the economy.

Maikanti Baru, group managing director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), stated this on Wednesday while delivering a goodwill message during the ‘NNPC Day’ held at the 39th Kaduna International Trade Fair, in Kaduna.

“NNPC is suited to providing the enabling environment for the Nation to optimise its commercial, industrial and agricultural potentials to attain competitive edge in these sectors. This is a commitment which we shall continue to abide by,” Baru said.

To further demonstrate NNPC’s commitment on this goal, Baru explained that the corporation had set up the Renewable Energy Division which is focused on not only developing solar and other renewable energy sources but also on developing Biofuels that are heavily dependent on agricultural produce as feedstocks.

According to him, the multiplayer effects of such ventures are enormous. These include reviving the nation’s agricultural sector, generating millions of jobs, contributing significantly to power generation, producing a high volume of animal feed, starch, and other byproducts, in addition to the biofuels that will be blended to our Refineries’ petroleum products that will significantly reduce imports of petroleum products into the country.

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Baru, who spoke on the theme “NNPC and Promotion of Industry, Commerce and Agriculture for International Competitiveness” noted that to aid the course of focusing on industry, commerce, and agriculture, Nigeria needed to begin with the end in mind by first undertaking holistic policy actions towards rebuilding the nation’s infrastructure.”

In this regard, the GMD observed that that key infrastructure sector that was expected to be upgraded include electric power, transport, information and communication, Roads, Water and Sanitation as well as rehabilitation of existing oil and gas pipeline facilities.

“It is my sincere belief that revitalising this critical infrastructure will emplace efficiency in the new focus areas of Commerce, Industry, and Agriculture to buoy the national economy and enable the country’s entrepreneurs to compete favourably with their peers across the globe,” he added.

The Kaduna International Trade Fair is one of the most important events in the business calendar of KADCCIMA. Alongside Lagos and Enugu, it is one of the three local trade fairs attended by the corporation not only to enlighten the public on its various services but also to educate them on the safest way of handling its products.