New Telegraph

Petroleum sector: Kachikwu points way forward

On Thursday, February 4th, a former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, publicly presented four new books at a classy virtual global event, which attracted over 2,300 participants from no fewer than five continents.

Among those who participated were President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, former Minister of Defence, T.Y Danjuma; the current Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva; Secretary General of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Sanusi Barkindo and the Edo State governor, Godwin Obaseki. Others were the Minister of Mines and Hydrocarbon in Equatorial Guinea, Gabriel Obiang Lima; Secretary General of Africa Petroleum Producers Organisation, Omar Farouk; Mr. Abdulrasaq Isa, Mr. Austin Avuru as well as other global oil industry chiefs, the academia, lawyers and captains of industry.

During the review of each of the books, many of the participants were in agreement that they will provide guidance to industry operators in terms of experience, knowledge and policy formation. The first book: “The Nigerian Petroleum Industry: 2015 to the Future” was reviewed by Dr. Dayo Ayoade, of the Faculty of Law, University of Lagos (UNILAG) with Specialties in Energy, Petroleum and Electricity Sector.

According to him, “the book titled Nigerian Petroleum Industry: 2015 to the Future; Restructuring and Reforming for Growth,” is an interesting book which deals with policies and looks to the future of our country.” He added: “Since we discovered oil in 1956, Nigeria has struggled with its oil and we need policy books like this to strategise way forward for the nation.

There are several oil and gas books, of course, in the market but few of them actually look to the future – few of them provide this kind of strategic and analytical approach that consider where we are, and we need to get to. “I find that this book reflects Dr. Kachukwu’s private sector experience as well as his time in office as Minister of Petroleum Resources. It also demonstrates a formidable team of technocrats that backed up the minister during his time in office.

“This book is very interesting, well presented, has very good illustrative charts and tables. The information in it will delight legal scholars, governments, private sector participants in the industry and it is very warmly recommended.

“The vision unpinning this book shows how we can get to national prosperity and it is not a mean achievement to put all of these diverse issues into one book. On this note, I would like to congratulate Dr. Kachikwu on this excellent book and wish him well for the future.” Reviewing the second book: “Gas Development in Nigeria: Legal and Policy Framework,” Dr. Peter Oniemola from the Faculty of Law, University of Ibadan, who also doubles as the Energy Law Coordinator, Centre for Petroleum, Energy Economics and Law of the same institution said: “The book is a masterpiece. It is a book that addresses the legal and policy issues in the oil and gas industry in Nigeria with a focus on gas. With development of the Nigerian gas sector, which has been bedeviled by series of challenges such as pricing, cash call issues and the need for continuous funding and infrastructural development in the gas sector, the author was able to bring on board, his experience as a practitioner in the field as well as an administrator.

“The book itself is rich in content and will be an important source for policy makers, legislators, academicians and persons, who are seeking to invest in the sector – all those who are seeking to develop their knowledge on the gas sector in Nigeria. It is an excellent book the way it is written and the way the book is structured is futuristic in nature though I would have loved to see an expert in the area transactional practice.

“The transactional aspect of oil and gas law is an area we need to develop in the country. And again, the author, bringing in his level of his experience, can also consider developing such area in the future for the purpose of making a contribution to the gas sector in Nigeria. Nigeria’s Foreign Investment Law and Policy (Second Edition), which is the third book was reviewed by Dr. Oluwatoyin Adejonwo Osho, a senior lecturer in the Faculty of Law, University of Lagos.

He said: “The book seeks to assess the progress, if any, with regards to the legal and regulatory framework for foreign investment in Nigeria. It also seeks to provide a detailed and comprehensive overview of the current law and policy guiding foreign investment.”

Showering encomiums on the author, he said: “This book by Dr. Ibe Kachikwu is unquestionably scholarly work, which not only fills a gap in existing literature on foreign investment in general, but also fills a gap in legal literature. “The book proffers useful pathways and provocative insights, which will be useful to investors both foreign and local, academics and researchers, legal practitioner, governments, international organizations, students and every other person that is interested in the laws and policies with respect to foreign investment in Nigeria. I, therefore, humbly and respectfully, recommend this book to all.” The last book: “The Nigerian Law of Contract: Study Companion,” which was reviewed by Dr. Adekemi Omotubora, a lecturer in the department of Commercial and Industrial Law, Faculty of Law, University of Lagos.

Her words: “The objective of this book as stated by the author, is two-fold: the first is that the book is written to capture and present to the reader, the over racking scope of the law of contract, the second is that it aims to address the evolution of and recent development in contract law.

“So, in recognition of the fact that the law of contract is the foundation of all other commercial laws and that different professional – both lawyers and non-lawyers – are having to deal with this area of contract, the book was written to appeal to a larger audience of both lawyers and non-lawyers. So, the book delivered on this objective”.

“The first point that I would like to note is the excellent structure of the book in terms of the topics covered, discussions and analysis of the law. And in spite of the fact that it is legal text…and legal texts are known for their legalese, this book adopts a sophisticated narrative, which is easy to follow by both lawyers and non-lawyers.

“So, my conclusion is that this is an excellent book. It is a great addition to the body of knowledge. I congratulate the author on this outstanding achievement. I would recommend this book to students, practitioners and all the people, who are interested in learning about the law of contract.”

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