Former First Lady, Diri, Ogbuku Commend Azikel Group’s Industrialisation Drive In Bayelsa
Former First Lady of Nigeria, Dame Patience Jonathan; Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri; and the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Chief Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, have commended the Azikel Group for its commitment to industrialising Bayelsa State and the Niger Delta region.
The leaders spoke on Monday while inspecting the Crude Distillation Unit (CDU) and other facilities at the Azikel Refinery in Obunagha Community, Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
They also pledged continued support for the successful completion of the multi-billion-naira refinery project, describing it as a major investment capable of driving industrialisation, creating jobs and opening new economic opportunities for the people.
Speaking at the event, Governor Diri, who was represented by his Deputy, Dr. Peter Akpe, expressed satisfaction with the progress made so far by the Azikel Group.
He described the refinery project as a major step towards industrialising the state, creating employment and opening new economic opportunities for Bayelsans.
The Deputy Governor congratulated the President of Azikel Group, Dr. Azibapu Eruani, and his team on the successful procurement of the CDU, which he described as the most critical component of a refinery, noting that its arrival represented a significant milestone towards completing the project.
He said industrialisation remained an integral part of the Prosperity Administration’s agenda, stressing that the responsibility of government was to create an enabling environment for businesses and investments to thrive.
According to him, the state government’s ongoing road projects were designed to improve connectivity and provide easier access to industrial investments, including the Azikel Refinery.
He urged Bayelsans to take advantage of the opportunities that would emerge from the project, particularly in employment and skills development, while warning against commercialising opportunities meant for the people.
His words: “The Prosperity Government, which is the agenda that we propagate, has industry and industrialisation as one of the major things. As a government, our business is to provide or enhance the ease of doing business.”
He added that graduates from universities in the state had the potential to fill many of the positions that would become available, but stressed the need for local people to develop the capacity to participate meaningfully in the investment.
“Our universities have got graduates that can fit into most of the levels that will be available,” he said, stressing that local people must develop the capacity to participate meaningfully in the investment.
Also speaking, former First Lady of Nigeria, Dame Patience Jonathan, applauded the Bayelsa State Government for supporting the project, particularly through infrastructure development and improved road access to the refinery.
She said the investment was significant because Bayelsa had traditionally depended heavily on government, stressing that sustainable development depended more on investments that create wealth than on total reliance on monthly salaries and government allocations.
Dame Jonathan described the refinery as an investment that should receive the collective support of government, communities and other stakeholders, noting that its benefits would extend beyond the company to the wider economy.
According to her, “It is not the amount of money you get at the moment, but the investment you put on ground that matters. What we are doing is not for you alone; it is for all of us.”
In his remarks, the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, stressed that the refinery would have a multiplier effect on Bayelsa’s economy, particularly through job creation and increased business activities.
Ogbuku maintained that the project could also help boost traffic at the Bayelsa International Airport by attracting investors, contractors and other business interests into the state.
The NDDC helmsman stressed the need for Bayelsans, particularly young people, not to remain spectators to the investment but to prepare and position themselves to benefit from the opportunities it would create.
He also commended the state government for improving road access to the refinery, saying the infrastructure had helped make the investment more accessible and demonstrated that the state was preparing for the economic opportunities associated with the project.
On his part, the President of Azikel Group, Dr. Azibapu Eruani, described the project as a major industrial milestone for Bayelsa State and Nigeria, saying the refinery had reached a critical stage with the arrival of the CDU.
He disclosed that the refinery, with a capacity of 25,000 barrels per day and an investment value of about $1 billion, would produce petrol, diesel, aviation fuel, kerosene, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), naphtha and heavy fuel oil.
Dr. Eruani said the arrival of the CDU represented the culmination of eight years of work and marked a significant step towards actualising the refinery project.
He explained that the CDU took more than three years to build in South Korea before being transported to Nigeria on a specially chartered vessel.
The Chairman of the Bayelsa State Traditional Rulers Council, HRM King Bubaraye Dakolo; former Chief Operating Officer, Refinery and Petrochemical of the NNPC, Mr. Mustapha Yakubu; and other dignitaries also delivered goodwill messages at the event.
