THAT Lagos State is on the verge of becoming a member of Nigeria’s oil producing states by 2015 is good news. The state’s government has been undoubtedly progressive and visionary, hence the enabling environment it has created to make this possible is hardly surprising. This new-found status, therefore, is now a clarion call on other states to rise up to the current economic challenges, think and act positively in the larger interests of the people.

According to reports, the joint venture partners on the Aje Field, offshore Lagos have taken the final investment decision on the exploration of the field. The first phase which is scheduled to be brought on stream by end of 2015 is targeting 10,000 barrels per day of oil from two target wells in the Oil Mining Lease 113 area. A re-entry of Aje-4 will form the first production, while drilling of Aje-5 is expected to be the second. The plans include the use of Rubicon’s Front Puffin floating production, storage and offloading vessel, which produced oil from the Puffin field in the Timor Sea.

The state government’s optimism for complete breakthrough is rooted in the belief that “this development is good for Nigeria generally because our (Nigeria) reserves base has not increased over the years as expected, because the international oil companies are not ready to invest since the Petroleum Industry Bill has not been passed.” This is the more reason local entrepreneurs Yinka Folawiyo Petroleum Company Limited as the operator with 25 per cent interest in the field and their partners Vitol, 24.05 per cent; First Hydrocarbons Nigeria Limited, 16.875 per cent; Energy Equity Resources Limited, 16.875 per cent; Panoro Energy ASA, 12.19 per cent; and Jacka Resources Limited, five per cent should be commended for taking up the gauntlet, believing in their own capacity and demonstrating a certain faith in the country. These and similar other ventures should be further encouraged to succeed. The reluctance of the international oil companies to invest, hinged on the incomplete processing and passage of the PIB is a bad statement on years of intrigues about the passage of the bill at the National Assembly. Too many interests – bordering on corruptive tendencies of public officials and stakeholders – are at work, creating impediments for the bill. These have to be removed. The different versions of the bill have to be harmonised just as the lawmakers should put the interest of the country above anyone else’s and produce a workable document that could open up the nation’s economy.

Nothing is to be taken for granted by the joint venture partners in Lagos. Lagos as a state has also floated its own oil and gas company perhaps in anticipation of playing a major role in the industry. At present, it is enjoying its enviable status as the highest internally generated revenue (IGR) earner with about N29 billion monthly.

It is hoped that the state and the partners would have learnt some significant lessons from existing JV arrangements of the Federal Government with oil multinationals to avoid frictions and pitfalls. Transparency will be key to all dealings to place trust as the framework of a lasting business relationship, being newcomers to the partnership. There will be challenges obviously, but facing up to them and resolving issues arising therefrom, matters.

How the associated problems of environmental degradation, cash-calls, technical support, deals with federal authorities and others will be handled will be germane to the growth of the venture really. Granted that the Federal Government has offered appreciable assistance to date in approvals and other areas, a more cooperative approach between the two levels of government to promote Nigeria’s interest and serve as attraction to similar ventures in the immediate future is expected.

Again, that the JV partners only submitted the Field Development Plan for the Aje field in January 2014 to the Department of Petroleum Resources with approval of FDP in March shows that with cooperation and commitment enormous interest of all officials to the success of any project, Nigeria can work. This is commendable. A further potential to develop the block across both OPL 310 and OML 113 should be pursued with the same dispatch.

Now job opportunities will open to Nigerians through the joint venture operations. As a corollary to the move by Lagos, and to encourage the many cash-strapped states, the Federal Government should revisit the issue of solid minerals with a view to taking it out of the current unproductive system, allow each state to exploit what is in its domain and pay royalties to the centre. It is time the country allowed a shift from counter-productive policies and liberated the nation’s potentials.

good news good news

Good news..
Buh if apapa jetty culd add xtra 4hrs to ur journey.
Wen d refinery is operational am sure cars wuld b mobile home.. Cous extra cloth, bucket, sponge nd soap mst b handy..

Whenever the first oil gush out wake me up

Omexonomy:
Whenever the first oil gush out wake me up

this is not two drops of ofe found across the niger o!

I hope this is TRUE so that they can Move the corporate Headquarters of [whatever Company ]that will be drilling the oil to Akwa Ibom State same as they refused to relocate our Exxon Mobil to our State..

TribalEAST:
this is not two drops of ofe found across the niger o!

Mumu yo-robber man, the Tiv man you're talking to does not have oil in his background


As for your mumu comment, until Lagos beat the fifth biggest state of oil producer in Nigeria which is Abia then I will take you serious



Z

DonaldGenes:
I hope this is TRUE so that they can Move the corporate Headquarters of [whatever Company ]that will be drilling the oil to Akwa Ibom State same as they refused to relocate our Exxon Mobil to our State..

You're obviously sleeping on a moving bicycle

OmEnT4:
Mumu yo-robber man, the Tiv man you're talking to does not have oil in his background


As for your mumu comment, until Lagos beat the fifth biggest state of oil producer in Nigeria which is Abia then I will take you serious



Z

abia produces oil and aba looks like trash? Vote out cluelessness

Now job opportunities will open to Nigerians through the joint venture operations. As a corollary to the move by Lagos, and to encourage the many cash-strapped states, the Federal Government should revisit the issue of solid minerals with a view to taking it out of the current unproductive system, allow each state to exploit what is in its domain and pay royalties to the centre. It is time the country allowed a shift from counter-productive policies and liberated the nation’s potentials.

hmm!!! to the highlighted statement.

EKO O NI BAJE

Ondo state is an established oil producing state.

Now Lagos State.

Ogun state is next on the queue.

Let our coastal states keep exploring the black gold, while the hinterland states keep developing agriculture, tourism and production.

God will continue to bless the prosperous land of Odua.

OmEnT4:
Mumu yo-robber man, the Tiv man you're talking to does not have oil in his background


As for your mumu comment, until Lagos beat the fifth biggest state of oil producer in Nigeria which is Abia then I will take you serious



Z

I pray you'll be alive to witness the transformation of Lagos to another Doha when the oil money start pumping in.
There is a heavy crude oil deposit in Lagos, but the government of those days where not making efforts at searching for it.
I remember when I was young, somewhere on Adeshina road at Ijeshatedo area of Lagos, the resident of a particular house woke up to find their well covered with tick black liquid substance which was later discovered to be crude oil, the landlord sealed off that well and did not dig another one, such tales a common around that Ijesh, Aguda and Sanya/ Coker axis.
There's been news of oil been struck in Epe axis of Lagos, I know about it 'cause I'm an insider.

Good.

TribalEAST:
abia produces oil and aba looks like trash? Vote out cluelessness

Abia do not begin and end with Aba, there are also cool places in Abia state.


We know that Ta orji is a failure unlike you people that hit drum for corrupt governor like ajimobi who has rob oyo state blind with dilapidated government schools all over the state unlike in abia state where the clueless one renovate all the schools and built new ones.



Btw have you been to Aba? I have been to Ogbomosho and Iseyin which are also the major cities in oyo state outside Ibadam and I can authoritatively tell you that Aba is miles ahead of them in terms of Government infrastructures



So Mr man, care to explain how South West vote for visionary leaders?
What abt the ousted ekiti governor? Shey he is from south east?

If you like bury your head in sand and change everything here on nairaland but that won't stop the rot going on over there

7lives:


I pray you'll be alive to witness the transformation of Lagos to another Doha when the oil money start pumping in.
There is a heavy crude oil deposit in Lagos, but the government of those days where not making efforts at searching for it.
I remember when I was young, somewhere on Adeshina road at Ijeshatedo area of Lagos, the resident of a particular house woke up to find their well covered with tick black liquid substance which was later discovered to be crude oil, the landlord sealed off that well and did not dig another one, such tales a common around that Ijesh, Aguda and Sanya/ Coker axis.
There's been news of oil been struck in Epe axis of Lagos, I know about it 'cause I'm an insider.

Oga development is not as easy as Abcd, especially when some one as greed as tinubu who don't even want to hide his game of greediness away from his kinsmen are at the helm of lagos affairs.


As for your story, this is my first time to hear such story.

Good news.

Eko Oni Baje Layelaye.

OmEnT4:
Abia do not begin and end with Aba, there are also cool places in Abia state.


We know that Ta orji is a failure unlike you people that hit drum for corrupt governor like ajimobi who has rob oyo state blind with dilapidated government schools all over the state unlike in abia state where the clueless one renovate all the schools and built new ones.



Btw have you been to Aba? I have been to Ogbomosho and Iseyin which are also the major cities in oyo state outside Ibadam and I can authoritatively tell you that Aba is miles ahead of them in terms of Government infrastructures



So Mr man, care to explain how South West vote for visionary leaders?
What abt the ousted ekiti governor? Shey he is from south east?

If you like bury your head in sand and change everything here on nairaland but that won't stop the rot going on over there

wit all dis ur yeye beautiful abia state,we hav more igbos livin in oyo state dan yorubas livin in abia.u will hardly see a yoruba graduate relocatin to ur hell hole in d east.am sure u hav brothers and sisters livin in iseyin and ogbomosho.I don't hav 1 member of my family livin in d east.I'm not even plannin to visit dat hell hole soon.com and see d way ur igbo brodas and sistas flood d whole of ibadan,is it a must for u igbos to visit,live or work in oda part of d country,xpeciall west and north.I just pway nigeria divide in 2015

Hey!! States do not lay claims to Offshore fields. Lagos has no stake in the Aje field.

Do we have to tribalize everything on this forum?
I weep for my country.

omololu2020:
wit all dis ur yeye beautiful abia state,we hav more igbos livin in oyo state dan yorubas livin in abia.u will hardly see a yoruba graduate relocatin to ur hell hole in d east.am sure u hav brothers and sisters livin in iseyin and ogbomosho.I don't hav 1 member of my family livin in d east.I'm not even plannin to visit dat hell hole soon.com and see d way ur igbo brodas and sistas flood d whole of ibadan,is it a must for u igbos to visit,live or work in oda part of d country,xpeciall west and north.I just pway nigeria divide in 2015

And here come a yo-robber man with their normal behavior.
You just show the normal trait of Yo-robber people which is to live in denial, we are talking abt state government and you're defending him with a diversion tactics
Who told you that my family or any of my relation live in that shithole called iseyin or ogbomosho?
You must be sleeping on a hanging wire if you think that I visited there to see any of my relation or friend. Btw next week, I will be at Ibadam yale industry to be precise just to stash the money lazy and senseless yoruba people who live around the industry refuse to stash due to their oily brain ain't functioning.
We have Yo-robber graduates here in Arochukwu riding keke napep



Lazy fools

OmEnT4:
Mumu yo-robber man, the Tiv man you're talking to does not have oil in his background


As for your mumu comment, until Lagos beat the fifth biggest state of oil producer in Nigeria which is Abia then I will take you serious



Z

why are you so obsession your ego so horrible

johnmartus:
why are you so obsession your ego so horrible

Mumu.

I just hope that lagos state won't start experiencing some form of militancy when the original Lagos Indigeines start to claim their right on the field.

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NDDC board: Ondo youths to protest alleged marginalisationBy Abiodun Badejo on December 18, 2013
Youth in Ondo State, under the aegis of Patriotic Advocacy Group [PAG] has threatened to embark on a street rally to protest the non inclusion of Ondo State indigene in the Executive Position of the newly constituted board of the Niger Delta Development Commission [NDDC].

The group, after an emergency meeting held at Igbokoda, headquarters of Ilaje Local Government Area, described the development as “undue marginalization” by President Goodluck Jonathan.

Speaking with DailyPost on behalf of PAG ,its Director of Media and
Publicity, Desmond Iwajomo decried the non-inclusion of Ondo State indigene in the executive management position of the newly constituted board as stipulated in the NDDC Act.


He said “the non-inclusion of Ondo State is totally unacceptable and it is another ploy by Jonathan and his cohorts to further foster his agenda of excluding the South West from his government and marginalizing the people of Ondo State from being represented at any Executive position of NDDC Board”.

The group demanded to know from why Ondo State that [b]is the fifth largest [b]Oil Producing State in Nigeria and the only SouthWest Oil Producing State was denied the opportunity of [/b]becoming the Managing Director or the Executive Director Projects [EDP] in the NDDC when it was supposed to be their turn.

“Ondo State has been sidelined in the scheme of things, including projects that are categorized as regional’s for the past 10 years. The NDDC as an intervention agency has not been very inactive and has not lived up to its statutory duties which include provision of potable water, road construction, land reclamation, environmental protection and so on” The statement stressed.

PAG said all the appeals by the people of the State to President Jonathan to help find a lasting solution to the level of poverty and environmental degradation in Oil rich communities of Ondo State fell on deaf ears.


The group passed a vote of no confidence on the Jonathan

Punchng
NDDC board: Ondo lawmaker sues Jonathan, Senate
12 months ago
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A lawmaker representing Ilaje Constituency II in the Ondo State House of Assembly,  Mr. Olugbenga Edema, on Monday,  dragged President Goodluck Jonathan; Senate President David Mark, and the Attorney – General of the Federation to a Federal High Court in Abuja on behalf of his people.
In the suit filed in Abuja, Edema is seeking an order of the court to declare illegal, null and void, the list of the NDDC board members sent by Jonathan to the Senate last week.
He also sought a declaration of the court that the people of the oil producing area of Ondo State deserved the position of an Executive Director in the new board of the NDDC,  being the 5th largest oil producing state in the country.
Edema consequently asked the court to restrain Mark and the Senate from screening or confirming the list of the board sent to it by the president.
He further asked the court to prevent the Senate from considering or screening any list that might be sent to the senate by Jonathan in future, which would not include the name of an Ondo State indigene as an Executive Director in the proposed NDDC board.
The lawmaker also pleaded with the court to restrain the President from inaugurating the nominees contained in the NDDC list before the Senate without the inclusion of an indigene of the oil-producing area of Ondo State as either the Managing Director or an Executive Director.
Edema supported his originating summons with a 26-paragraph affidavit.
No date has been fixed for hearing.
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