Federal Government has clarified the ongoing TotalEnergies and NNPC Joint Venture Ikike project.
Naija News understands there were speculations about hitches in the delivery of the project as construction activities entered almost half of 2022.
Speaking, however, at the TotalEnergies’ 60th anniversary in Nigeria which was celebrated in Lagos over the weekend, the Executive Secretary, the Nigerian Content and Development Monitoring Board, NCDMB, Engr. Simbi Wabote said the project is near completion.
He reiterated that there is much commitment to the project and that the construction is in its final stage.
Naija News understands that doubt sets in seeing that the year is almost in its half while the firm had assured that the project would be delivered early this year.
On TotalEnergies’ contribution in its 60 years in the country, Wabote said there was no basis for comparing the contributions of the French energy firm with those of other IOCs operating in the country.
He praised TotalEnergies as one of the IOCs that has kept faith with Nigeria in the last 60 years, having invested over $30bn into the country in the last eight years.
He said, “For me as an executive secretary of the NCDMB, my job does not exist without investment. I use Total to challenge Shell, Chevron and ExxonMobil. So long as I have a job, Total, you are the winner.”
“I celebrate you at 60, and enjoin you to remain with us. Stay with us because Nigeria loves Total,” he said.
The trio- Shell, Chevron and ExxonMobil – have sold the majority of their stakes in Nigeria’s upstream where they had been major players. The world is shifting from fossil fuel to cleaner energies, Naija News understands.
In his remark at the event, President, TotalEnergies E&P Nigeria, Nicholas Terraz, said it had been a thing of great pride, and a sense of achievement, to see the company grow over the years.
“Embracing good values and developing a strong and sustainable corporate culture have made us a shining example among our industry peers today,” Terrez said.
He added: “We have developed several projects over recent years and, of course, are in the final stages of the Ikike project. Ikike is a key project for the affiliate to demonstrate the viability of tie-backs to existing fields. A lot of progress has been made, but I know there are a lot of challenges as we near the end. I am counting on the project team, and indeed all the affiliates, to apply yourselves to overcome these challenges and deliver the product safely. As a company, we have shown a unique commitment to Nigeria. Indeed, the country remains at the heart of our strategy. Nigeria has a lot of potentials, but as for Ikike, it is not always ‘plain sailing’, so we all have to perform at our best to continue the adventure.”
This article was originally published on Nigeria News