The Honorable Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva has inaugurated a Committee charged with the mandate of mapping out strategies and modalities for the establishment of Oloibiri Museum and Research Center (OMRC) to be sited in Oloibiri, Bayelsa State.
Speaking at the virtual event which held on Tuesday, 4th August, 2020, the Minister posited that the occasion presents a unique opportunity to correct a historical oversight with the decision to build a befitting Museum in Oloibiri Oilfield where oil was first discovered in commercial quantities in 1956.
Sylva opined that the need to establish an Oil Museum is aimed at preserving the heritage and historical developments in Nigeria’s Oil sector, adding that the plan has been on the drawing board for over three (3) decades without any hitherto commitment to bring it to fruition.
The scope of the project, according to the Minister captures aspects as construction of a Museum where oil and gas historic developments, data, equipment, and tools used at one time or the other in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry will be housed for posterity. Also listed in the project scope is the construction of a functional Research Center where prototypes can be tested and validated in fulfillment of the requirement for approval of new technologies.
When completed, it is expected that the Oloibiri Museum and Research Center (OMRC) will aid the retention of historical artifacts of Nigeria’s oil and gas journey, dissemination of knowledge across generations, creation of an attractive destination for tourists, restoration of the image of the Oloibiri community among other numerous benefits.
Various committees with specific duties were inaugurated at the event. The committees are; Steering Committee, Coordinating Committee, Project Teams and the Secretariat.
In his maiden address to members of the committees, the Minister charged them to perform their roles with absolute Professionalism, Patriotism and Integrity while he will be expecting periodic updates from the Steering Committee.
The Minister on behalf of the Oil and Gas community, the people of the Niger Delta and the country at large thanked President Mohammadu Buhari for approving the establishment of the Museum and research Center in spite of the COVID-19 pandemic and its socio-economic impact.
Going by the project execution plan, the pre-construction activities are scheduled to last for eight (8) months while construction is expected to be executed within thirty-six (36) months from the date of commencement.
Enefaa Bob-Manuel
Deputy Director (Information)
Ministry of Petroleum Resources
