Petroleum Minister to Deliver Keynote Address …As Industry Stakeholders Gather for 1st Nigerian Lubricant Summit

Dateline Lagos: The organisers of the first summit on the Nigerian lubricant market have disclosed that major stakeholders in the industry have given their support to the summit.

Themed: The Nigerian Lubricants Market: Opportunities & Challenges, the summit will have the Honorable Minister for Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke deliver Keynote Address, while the Honorable Minister for Trade, Industry & Investment Dr. Olusegun Aganga is expected as Special Guest of Honor.

Disclosing these today at a media briefing held at the Lagos Sheraton Hotel, Engineer Kayode Sote, Managing Director of Lubeservices Associates, project consultants to the organisers, said the summit will be a two-day forum and exhibition, and will take place at the Oriental Hotel, Lekki, Lagos between August 19 & 20, 2014.

The summit, aims among others to promote a better understanding and appreciation of the nation’s hydrocarbon reserves, potential and diverse investment opportunities therein, present the investment profiles of lube manufacturers and their commitment to sustainable job creation and contribution to the technical and economic growth of the nation and also examines the challenges in the market.

Speakers at the event will include: Mr. Alexis Vovk, Managing Director, Total Nigeria Limited; Mr. Taiye Williams, Managing Director, Lubcon International; Mr. George Abiodun Osahon, Director, Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR); and Dr. Joseph Odumodu, Director, Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON)

Other resource persons are Hon. Dakuku Adol Peterside, Chairman, House Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream), Federal House of Representatives; Chairman, Lubricants Producers Association of Nigeria (LUPAN) and Chairman, Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria among others. They would chair four different sessions and panels.

Panelists, according to Engr. Sote, have been selected from a cream of distinguished resource persons with proven track records and relevant expertise. They will demonstrate and share their practical experiences with the stakeholders and participants. “These facilitators are indeed a mixed-grill of professionals and administrators from the private and public sectors and with experience in the relevant topics of discourse”.

Earlier In his welcome address, Mr. Yomi Badejo-Okusanya, Managing Director of CMC Connect (Perception Managers) organisers of the summit, thanked all the stakeholders in the Nigerian Lube market who have shown commitment to the programme. He disclosed that his organisation’s Public Affairs Directorate decided to collaborate with the  Department of Petroleum Resources to organise the summit because "it would create a platform for the major and indigenous lube manufacturers, technocrats, investors, service providers, diversed consumers, statutory and regulatory agencies and other stakeholders to meet and marshal a way forward in order to create frontiers of growth of the lubricants market in the country. We have carefully selected faculty of eminent discussants who have been critical of the issue. At the end, a communique will be developed and submitted to the necessary committees at the National Assembly for legislation on issues raised by the stakeholders that need legislative backing”, Badejo-Okusanya concluded.

Explaining reasons why the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) supported the project, Mr. Mudei Alphonsus, representing the Director, DPR, stated that the aims and objectives of the summit is in tandem with what DPR stands for in the industry as the regulator whose responsibilities include but not limited to upholding standardisation and creating opportunities for market growth in both the downstream and upstream sectors of the Nigeria’s oil and gas market.

“We commend the organisers and sponsors of the program and we give our full support to it. We use this occasion to ask all stakeholders especially LUPAN and MOMAN members to support this initiative meant to enhance growth of the market”, Alphonsus said.

Others present at the conference are Engr. Emeka Obidike, Secretary, LUPAN; Mr. Taiye Williams, Mr. Abdulfatai Ayodimeji, both of Lubcon International, major sponsor of the summit.

 In his goodwill message, Mr. Williams stated that his organisation, Lubcon International offered to take major sponsorship of the program because they believed that the 2-day summit will create opportunities for local lube blenders and manufacturers to show the world that there is huge production capacity in Nigeria, and the platform will also allow all stakeholders to congregate and aggregate on their common concerns.

The occasion also had some other members of LUPAN and MOMAN in attendance.

                                                                       …..Ends

Signed:

Adetola Odusote,

Group Head, Public Affairs,

CMC Connect (Perception Managers) Limited,

Lagos, Nigeria, West Africa.

Mobile: +234(0)8023103355