Henry Okonkwo
The Niger Delta Exploration and Production Plc (NDEP), a pioneer indigenous upstream Oil and Gas production company, has been praised by the host community, Ogbele, Rivers state, for the several CSR (corporate social responsibility) projects being implemented in their commune.
These encomiums were showered recently at a virtual ceremony converged to celebrate NDEP’s 15th anniversary of exploring crude oil from its Ogbele Marginal field.
Commending the company for their contributions towards the development of their host communities, a community leader, Dr. Kipoye Gogo from the Otari community, disclosed that NDEP had enjoyed some harmony from them because of their fulfilled promises, their commitment to agreements plus accessibility. “ NDEP employs our youths in the Ogbele community, they have built schools, sank boreholes and provided electricity to our communities and they are still doing more today as we speak,” he said.
Reacting, the NDEP’s Managing Director, Dr. Layi Fatona, recounted their challenges at the Ogbele Marginal oil field development. He recognized the ultimate success as a result of the collective support and tireless efforts of its various stakeholders. “It is a milestone I am proud of, such as we achieved together as a company”, he said, “We did not get here by chance. We got here because we believed it could be done. We shared the common dream to be the first indigenous oil company. Next, we put in much work to make it happen. Since the first production of crude oil from its Ogbele field in 2005, NDEP has evolved into a foremost integrated Energy Company that has pioneered the development of marginal fields in the Country and has exhibited professionalism in all its operations.”
Another former Chairman of the Company Board of Directors, Mr. Goodie Ibru, who also spoke at the event, congratulated the current Board of NDEP for its successes. “The remarkable thing about NDEP,” Mr. Ibru said, “is that it is not just producing crude oil and exporting, it is adding value to the Nigerian Economy. It has become an integrated oil and gas company. It has a mini refinery; it has a gas plant, and this translates to the creation of job opportunities for the youths. It’s doing a lot to create opportunities for young people, creating wealth and also keeping part of the wealth within the country instead of just sending crude oil abroad and importing refined products”, he said.