The former governor of Ogun State, Senator Gbenga Daniel, has congratulated current Ogun Governor Dapo Abiodun and the people of Ogun State following the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited’s (NNPCL) declaration of Ogun as a frontier state for oil exploration.
The former governor communicated this in a press statement released by the OGD Media Office on Sunday.
This significant milestone of Ogun becoming a state for oil exploration marks the fruition of efforts initiated by Daniel’s administration, which established the Gateway Oil and Gas Development Limited in 2003 with the support of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Under Daniel’s leadership, a comprehensive three-dimensional seismic study of oil and mineral deposits was conducted across various locations in Ogun State. The study covered areas from Ode Omi in Ogun Waterside to Tongeji Island in Ipokia, leading to a $50 million investment pledge by PGS Exploration Nigeria Limited in 2004 and the discovery of significant phosphate deposits in Ifo. These discoveries prompted the establishment of the Gateway Fertilizer Company.
Daniel’s administration made strategic moves to position Ogun as an oil-producing state, including hosting the then-NNPC Group Managing Director, Engr. Funsho Kupolokun, to advocate for Ogun’s status. The formal Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the Olokola Liquefied Natural Gas (OK LNG) project in 2007, involving multiple stakeholders, further highlighted these efforts.
Gbenga Daniel emphasised the state’s potential as a “veritable factory of skilled manpower,” with numerous educational institutions ready to support the burgeoning oil and gas industry. His administration established the Gateway Industrial & Petro-Gas Institute (GIPI) and several ICT polytechnics to cultivate technical expertise.
The press release also acknowledged Governor Abiodun’s pivotal role in continuing this vision since his appointment in 2009 to succeed Otunba Alex Onabanjo as Chairman of the Gateway Oil and Gas Committee. Daniel’s office urged Governor Abiodun to revitalise GIPI and address pending infrastructural projects like the Makun Omi Bridge.
Concluding with a call for sustained political will and sincerity of purpose, the statement expressed optimism for Ogun State’s economic future, rooted in the 25-year development master plan initiated by Daniel’s administration.
Ozioma Samuel-Ugwuezi
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