Construction work at the long-awaited Oloibiri Museum and Research Centre (OMPRC), Otuabagi, in Ogbia local government area of Bayelsa State is set to begin as the project promoters handed over the project site to Messers Julius Berger Plc, a renowned construction company, at a well-attended ceremony at the Otuabagi community town hall.
The event marked the completion of formalities and alignment of all key stakeholders, thus, ensuring that, the project would proceed without hitches at the exact location where oil production began in Nigeria in 1957.
Elated at the development, the project lead and executive secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, said the multibillion-naira project, which consists of a world-class Oil and Gas Museum Centre and a Research Testing Centre, was in fulfilment of the expressed desire of the project promoters to place Otuabagi community, the location of Oloibiri Oil Well 1, on the world map.
He noted that the tradition worldwide has been to immortalise the beginnings of the oil and gas industry by citing projects of significant socio-economic worth in communities where exploitation and production of petroleum began, and that the project promoters, namely, Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Shell Petroleum Development Company (now Renaissance Africa Energy Limited), and Bayelsa State government, believing that the case of Nigeria did not have to be different.
Citing Pennsylvania, United States, reputed to be the birthplace of America’s oil industry, and a number of other cities across the world, he said, ‘You see museums, research centres, tourist attractions among other things, as distinctive features that give deserved prominence and material benefits to such communities.”
The NCDMB boss was represented by the board’s director of corporate services, Alhaji Abdulmalik Halilu, and he told the community that, ‘history is in the making’ as Julius Berger moves to the 55.05-hectare project site to commence construction, assuring them that, project management team has been constituted to ensure that timelines and other expectations were strictly adhered to by the construction giant.
He disclosed that a governance structure has already been drawn up for the museum centre for purposes of efficient and effective management, and that, the community would be given a sense of belonging at all times. He charged youths of the community to prepare to take advantage of training programmes to be provided in diverse skill sets to be able to secure employment in the facility.
The executive secretary commended the Otuabagi community, particularly, its stakeholder committee led by vice chancellor of Federal University, Otuoke, Professor Teddy Adias, for the remarkable maturity and comportment exhibited during earlier disputes relating to the project location.
In his remarks, the chief of staff, Government House, Bayelsa State, Hon. Peter Akpe, who represented the Bayelsa State government, said the handover ceremony signaled the transition from drawing board to action and that a project that had been so long in the pipeline is finally coming to fruition. He commended the NCDMB, and other promoters as well as the community’s stakeholder committee for their commitment thus far.
A representative of Julius Berger, Mr. Rimon Marisho, Deputy Regional Manager, South and East, expressed appreciation to the NCDMB, Bayelsa State Government and the Otuabagi community for all they have done to bring the plans for the project to execution phase. He described the handover ceremony as ‘a perfect beginning,’ while assuring all, ‘we are here for development.’
Goodwill messages were given by the President of the Ijaw National Congress (INC), Professor Benjamin Okaba, and the President of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), Sir Jonathan Lokpobiri, who pledged maximum support for the project and also assured of a safe environment for the construction work.
Earlier in a welcome address, the chairman of the community’s Stakeholder Committee, Professor Adias, expressed appreciation to the NCDMB, PTDF, Shell and Bayelsa State Government for their efforts in actualizing the project, which has been on the drawing since 1981, during the administration of the then President Shehu Shagari.
He said the handover of the project site to Julius Berger was a momentous event in the history of the Otuabagi community, which has long yearned for due recognition and development projects as the birthplace of Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
Among the project promoters, namely, PTDF, NCDMB, Shell (now Renaissance Africa) and Bayelsa State Government, is a contribution ratio of 40:30:20:10, respectively.
Key features of the project concept include an imposing Oil and Gas Museum, within which is a display of geological formations, platforms, early equipment and tools marking successive stages in the evolution of oil and gas operations in Nigeria, an interactive screen for digital engagement with professionals, students, tourists and historians across the globe in search of knowledge.
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