We’ll make Bayelsa Houston of Nigeria –Dickson

Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa

Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, has said his administration is working very hard to make Bayelsa, the Houston of Nigeria and Africa as a whole.

His Chief Press Secretary, Francis Ottah Agbo, in a statement, said his principal made the remark during a session with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) at the ongoing Onshore Technology Conference (OTC) in Houston, USA.

Dickson was quoted to have told his audience, which included NNPC’s Group Managing Director (GMD), Dr. Maikanti Baru, that making Bayelsa the Houston of Africa is realisable, if  Baru and the other critical players in the oil and gas sector collaborate with his government.
Dickson said his administration has created an enabling environment for investments, including investments in the oil and gas sector, to thrive in Bayelsa state, as well as guarantee a high return on all investments.

“Bayelsa state is safe, peaceful and ready for business. Our government has created the conducive and enabling environment for investments to flourish, including investments in the oil and gas sector.

We were here last year, and we had fruitful deliberations, which sharpened our perspectives. On returning home, we took a lot of steps and we are here, this time around, to market Bayelsa, as the world’s best kept investment secret to the global investing community, especially in oil and gas. We have started an Eco-Industrial City. “So, if you are interested in using gas for industrialisation, where to go is Bayelsa. We are building a Deep Sea Port and we’ve got to provide power. We are building a power hub, a new Yenagoa City, we are building an International Airport and a host of other initiatives which will be attractive to investors. We, in Bayelsa, have a dream of working with the NNPC and other players, to make Bayelsa state the Houston of oil and gas in Nigeria and Africa.

Baru, in his response, described Bayelsa as is a trail blazer with a visionary governor, stressing that NNPC would support Bayelsa government in its investment drives.
He said the NNPC will assist the state government with evaluation, such that only viable projects are admitted into the world-class facilities being developed in the state.