The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of an independent oil and gas exploration company – ND Western – Mr. Eberechukwu Oji, has decaled that Nigeria, as an oil producing country, should not be importing refined products.
Oji stated this last week, shortly after the unveiling ceremony of Prof. Mosobalaje Oyawoye E-Library Complex at the Department of Geology, University of Ibadan.
The E-Library complex was built in honour of Oyawoye, the first professor of Geology in Africa, unarguably the Doyen of Geologists.
Oji said what Nigeria needs to do is to export refined oil products and not import, regretting that the country is spending scarce foreign exchange to import what it can produce locally.
“As I have said many times before, Nigeria should be exporting refined products by now. It does not make sense that we export our crude oil and then turn around to import refined products. It makes more sense that we keep our resources within our country.”
He stated further that the oil sector is lucrative enough to attract the necessary investors, noting that the government should provide the enabling environment that would stimulate the interest of investors to commit their resources.
On the E-Library, Oji assured that the company would collaborate with the department to make it functional, maintaining that the leadership at ND Western likes to excel at everything thing it is involved in, including the E-Library. He described the E-Library project as part of the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
“We would be delighted to collaborate further with the Geology department to evolve a model that will ensure this E-Library is put to great use and is optimally functional many years from now. In essence, we are assuring that ND Western is not a fair weather friend and not only passionate about running a great business but also have an abiding commitment towards our shared dream for a better Nigeria through Corporate Social Investment of this nature, “he said.