President Muhammadu Buhari has assured stakeholders in the oil and gas sector of the economy of his readiness to enhance security in the Niger Delta region by building upon the good aspects of the Amnesty Programme initiated by President Umar Yar’Adua.
The President was speaking, Monday, at a meeting with senior officials of Chevron led by the company’s President for Africa and Latin America, Mr Ali Moshiri.
“We understand the situation in the industry and we will do our best to address the challenges affecting exploration, production and distribution of oil products in the country,’’ the President told the delegation.
Acknowledging the merits of the Amnesty Programme initiated by President Umar Yar’Adua to reduce violence in the Niger Delta region, President Buhari said that his administration would not only build on the programme, but would also implement other measures to enhance security in the Niger Delta and optimize investments in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
Earlier in his remarks, Moshiri had urged President Buhari to restore the confidence of international investors in the industry, just as he identified improved security in the Niger Delta as key to increased investment in the oil and gas sector in Nigeria.
Moshiri said that Chevron, which has 36.7 per cent interest in the West African Gas Pipeline Company Limited, was keen to support Nigeria’s gas sector and bring more electricity to Nigerian consumers.
