Total ready to work with FG to boost exploration activities amid COVID-19 pandemic – Sangster
Joy Obakeye
Total E&P Nigeria have said it is ready to work with the Federal Government to introduce and boost exploration activities and eliminate bottlenecks in the move to shore up the country’s depleting Oil and Gas reserves impacted by the ravaging Covid-19 pandemic and low oil prices.
According to the Managing Director of the Oil and Gas firm, Mike Sangster, during virtual meeting of the Monthly Technical Presentation” of the Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE), Total is a key stakeholder in the industry and it hopes to be a part of the long-term sustainability and replenishment of the country’s foreign exchange earnings.
In his remarks, Mr Sangster added that, “there are no proportionate exploration activities to ensure long term sustainability and replenishment of the resource that accounts for more than 90 percent of the country’s foreign exchange earnings.
“Total, as a key stakeholder in the Nigerian oil and gas industry is prepared to work with the government, partners, and other stakeholders, to address these bottlenecks to new exploration investments.”
Speaking on the role of Total during the Covid-19 pandemic, Mr Sangster revealed that the firms intervention was valued at over N1.5 billion in cash and kind donations at both the federal and states level.
“Total rose to the clarion call of the Federal Government along with its partners, led by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), by contributing to a donation of N21billion in support of the Federal Government’s Covid-19 efforts. Total’s contribution was $3.2m (N1.2b).
“The company also supported the Lagos State Government with critical supplies and medical equipment. In Rivers State, we reached out to our stakeholders by providing medical supplies and support for our host communities and the State Government.
“Our downstream company, Total Nigeria Plc donated ₦50M as part of a combined contribution from the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN), under the auspices of the NNPC and provided the Lagos State Government with fuel for logistical support during the pandemic,” he added.
Similarly, he maintained that with around 10% of its equity in Nigeria’s production, Total has invested about $10 billion in the country in CSR initiatives and collaborations.
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“The NMGS Total Prize has been the coveted prize of the society for years because in addition to money award, winners go on a fully- sponsored Technical trip to our Scientific Center in France, for two weeks during which they are exposed to our proprietary technologies.
“The company makes an annual expenditure of over 40 million USD on Corporate Social Responsibility in Nigeria; with remarkable investments in capacity development, employability, health, education as well as infrastructure.
The company’s chief urged that as a country, we need to look ahead to post Covid-19 and begin to adopt innovations that will reinvent continued relevance across board.
