*Gas flow station in the Niger Delta
Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited, SPDC, says the Niger Delta people have the necessary ingredients to attract much more investment to the region given the region’s “fantastic basis for growth and for competitiveness.”
Deputy Managing Director of SPDC, Mr. Simon Roddy said Niger Delta stakeholders need to ensure a stable environment, entrench rule of law and curb the prevalent crude theft.
Roddy, who was a guest on the Canvas-Niger Delta Roundtable live radio programme in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, described Nigerians as enthusiastic and energetic people.
He called on individuals in the region to be conscious that their personal choices either advance the hope of a brighter future for their people or hold back such hopes.
“When we pull together and support each other, we unlock a better future for all. The secret to unlocking opportunities for regional competitiveness in the Niger Delta is hard-work and team-work. There is no magic wand.
“I have been working and living in Port Harcourt for 18 months now, and I have interacted with Nigerians across the world in my 27 years of working in Shell, there is no where else you will find so many enthusiastic and energetic people. There is already great potential,” Roddy said.
Pressed for more details, Roddy said to attract more investment into the region and to be more competitive for the investors’ highly sought-after funds, Niger Delta stakeholders need to ensure a stable environment, entrench rule of law and curb the prevalent crude theft.
He said, “But for the efforts of the government security agency, Operation Delta Safe, the crude theft situation could have been worse.”
Earlier, SPDC had announced that crude thieves stole about 11,000 barrels of oil per day from its pipelines in 2018, making security of its assets a high priority.
“You require rule of law to assure investors. If basic stability is not there, that investment risks going elsewhere.”
He disclosed that SPDC always reviews its operations and keeps to its values of Respect for people, honesty and integrity as a way of ensuring it remains a good corporate citizen and a force for good in Nigeria.
“We are glad that our operations over 60 years have provided critical revenue for the government, with our over 90percent Nigerian staff also paying various taxes to enable government meet its obligations for social amenities to the Nigerian people,” Roddy said.
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