Buhari is the only President that doesn’t interfere in NNPC operations – Kyari
POLITICS DIGEST- The Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Mallam Mele Kyari, has singled out President Muhammadu Buhari for praise, claiming that he is the only president not to have interfered in the running of the corporation.
Kyari, in a statement on Tuesday by NNPC Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Dr. Kennie Obateru, said the current management “was so privileged to have a President who never interfered in what the NNPC does as a corporation”.
He spoke in Sokoto while delivering the Usman Danfodiyo University’s 2021 First Quarter Public Lecture Series titled, “Navigating Energy Transition and the Imperatives of University-Industry Collaboration.”
He stated: “That is very unprecedented, and it has gone a long way to help us deliver on our mandate, especially the drive towards domestic gas utilization”.
Kyari tasked governments and institutions on the African continent to adopt technology and innovation to achieve energy sufficiency and its economic multiplier effect on their people.
“African Governments and institutions must rise to the occasion to leverage technology and innovation to support energy sufficiency, industrialization, job creation and economic growth”, Kyari emphasized.
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He noted that NNPC as Africa’s biggest national oil company which is already building on the convergence of new technologies and innovative business models was set to play an important role in the future of energy.
“NNPC has set the necessary machineries to lead Africa in transition to low-carbon energy and renewables. We are taking firm position in this transition by institutionalizing the necessary enablers for success,” he stated.
He added that in line with this drive, NNPC has established a Renewable Energy Division and completely transformed the NNPC Research and Development, R&D, Division to NNPC Research, Technology and Innovation Centre as part of its key initiatives to transit to an Energy Company of Global Excellence.
He noted that the oil industry alone cannot drive substantial innovation without sustained collaboration with universities, research institutes, manufacturers, policymakers and regulators.
He said NNPC welcomes beneficial relationship with the academia and industry experts who demonstrate capacity for productive research and innovation in the energy sector.
According to him, energy transition cannot be complete without the right investment climate, capital, effective regulation, stakeholder’s commitment, supportive infrastructure, and an innovative business environment that can accommodate the anticipated changes.
The NNPC helmsman observed that further diversification of energy sources will improve global access to energy and reduce the absolute number of people without access to energy, especially in developing countries.
He said the new energy transition must be fashioned towards creating a balanced landscape that supports the development and energy needs of diverse groups of people across the planet.
