Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, has pledged his administration’s full support for the operations of Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited, successor to the Shell Petroleum Development Company and operator of the NNPC/Renaissance/TotalEnergies/AENR Joint Venture.
Speaking in Asaba, the state capital on Thursday when the management team of Renaissance Energy Group visited him, Governor Oborevwore assured the Renaissance leadership of the safety and success of their operations in Delta State.
“You will do well in Delta State. I assure you that your operations here are safe. Delta State is one of the most peaceful states in the South-South. Your investment here is secure. Security is very important, and we don’t take it lightly,” he said.
The governor called for a strong, forward-looking partnership that delivers value to all stakeholders. He assured the Renaissance team, led by its Chairman, Dr. Layi Fatona, of his government’s commitment to supporting the company’s vision of enabling energy security and industrialisation in a sustainable manner.
Governor Oborevwori urged the company and its host communities to prioritise dialogue over confrontation.
“I believe in dialogue rather than confrontation. Once you have a relationship with the host communities and they are involved in your operations, you won’t face any issues. It is not by confrontation but by dialogue,” he stated, adding that “Once you play your part, the government will support you. We will not condone any attack on oil installations.”
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Dr. Fatona, accompanied by Renaissance’s Managing Director and CEO, Tony Attah, and other company leaders, expressed alignment with the Delta State government’s MORE Agenda, which focuses on Meaningful Development, Opportunities for All, Realistic Reforms, and Enhanced Peace and Security.
In his remarks, Attah described Renaissance’s emergence as one of the greatest opportunities for Nigeria to “get it right.”
He stated, “We are starting from the Niger Delta but have an African ambition to be the leader in the energy landscape.”
Attah thanked the governor for the support previously given to SPDC as the former operator of the joint venture and expressed confidence in receiving even greater support for Renaissance. “We believe that you’ll give us far more support. We’ll do everything possible to surpass Shell’s achievements.”
Renaissance acquired SPDC and its 30 percent interest in the joint venture to become the biggest oil giant in Nigeria.
