– NNPC GMD tasks business directorate on value-creating ideas

ABUJA – The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has challenged its Business Development Directorate to evolve innovative and proactive strategies for identifying new business opportunities that could create value for the corporation.

This is contained in a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja by Mr Ohi Alegbe, the Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, NNPC, Abuja.

The Group Managing Director (GMD) of the corporation, Mr Andrew Yakubu gave the charge on Thursday in Abuja.

The NNPC GMD was speaking at the opening ceremony of a two-day building capacity workshop for the staff of corporation.

He said that this would help to further consolidate on the gains of the transformation process initiated to reposition the corporation for the post-Petroleum Industry Bill era.

He said that the workshop with the theme: “Value Creation: An Optimum to Business Development” was organised by the Business Development Directorate of NNPC to brainstorm and chart a way forward for the directorate.

The GMD pledged utmost support to the directorate on account of its strategic importance as the engine room of creative business ideas that could sustain and propel the corporation to higher heights

He, however, urged the directorate to wake up to its responsibilities.

“The time to take your mandate more seriously is now for NNPC to realise its vision of becoming a world class oil and gas company.

“This in line with our transformation roadmap which includes the right to play on the global scene, a strong business development capability must be a top and strategic priority,” he stated.

He said that the evolving business environment in the international energy scene with regard to the development of shale gas in the U.S. was a challenge.

According to him, the increasing competition from traditional oil producers like Angola and new oil producers like Ghana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda and others should also be seen as challenges.

He therefore urged them to lead the charge in developing strategies for NNPC to take advantage of the opportunities offered by the development.

The GMD urged the directorate to “build the necessary capabilities and skills and seek collaboration from within and outside the NNPC business ecosystem’’ in order to fulfill its mandate.

Yakubu also called for a high-level cooperation and interaction between the directorate and others.

He said that this would achieve synergy and unity of purpose in the process of exploring new business opportunities.

“While the Business Development Directorate must take leading roles in identifying opportunities for the organisation, a shared-value strategy must underpin our growth aspirations,” he said.

Speaking earlier, the Group Executive Director, Business Development Directorate of the NNPC, Ms Aisha Abdurrahman, said she was concerned at the sub-optimal level of activities in the directorate.

She said that was what inspired her to organise the workshop to generate ideas and chat a roadmap for actualising the directorate’s mandate.

She listed the core functions of the directorate to include generating and developing business opportunities; optimising existing assets and executing downstream obligation projects for Production Sharing Contracts.

She said the purpose include ensuring that NNPC’s activities were in compliance with extant laws and regulations. (NAN)