By Mardiyyah Abubakar
Former President Goodluck Jonathan has called on oil and gas companies to play a leading role in advancing Nigeria’s technological and industrial development by investing in local manufacturing, skills development, and technology transfer.
Speaking at the Sweet Crude Dialogue in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Jonathan said Nigeria must move beyond exporting crude oil and use its vast petroleum resources to build a strong industrial base capable of producing equipment and technology for the energy sector.
He noted that oil companies spend billions of naira on equipment and logistics, stressing that a greater share of those investments should be directed towards developing local technical capacity and manufacturing within Nigeria.
“Use what you have to get what you want,” Jonathan said, urging stronger collaboration between government and industry to ensure the country’s oil wealth translates into sustainable economic growth, job creation, and reduced dependence on imports.
The former president commended the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) for deepening indigenous participation in the oil industry, recalling that the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act was enacted during his administration to strengthen local content.
He warned that Nigeria would continue to lose economic opportunities if it relied solely on crude oil exports while importing basic equipment required for oil production.
Jonathan also expressed optimism that the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) would further drive reforms, address concerns of host communities, and strengthen the long-term sustainability of the petroleum sector through continued stakeholder engagement.
Also speaking, Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri, represented by Deputy Governor Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, said the Niger Delta had sustained Nigeria’s economy for decades but remained environmentally degraded and underdeveloped. He highlighted the state’s efforts to implement the recommendations of the Bayelsa State Oil and Environmental Commission through an environmental remediation and just transition bill.
Convener of the dialogue and Chief of Policy at De Mangrove Conversations, Biobele Da-Wariboko, said the forum was designed to promote fairness, equity, justice, and greater benefits for Niger Delta communities from the nation’s oil resources.
