*Iledare dismisses job losses over oil sector reforms
The Minister of State Petroleum for Petroleum, Dr Ibe Kachikwu, former director, Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Olsten Olorunsola and Executive Secretary of Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), Dr Aliyu Gusau have bagged the Nigerian Association of Energy Economics (NAEE) distinguished fellowship award.
The National President of NAEE, Prof Wumi Iledare, who revealed this at the 11th NAEE annual conference in Abuja, explained that the award was meant to encourage Nigerians and institutions that made huge contributions to the development of energy and power sector in Nigeria.
He said: “We have categories of awards. The distinguished fellowship award is an award given to someone that has made major impact in the energy sector over a long time. It is also for someone that has had a distinguished carrier and has been able to articulate policy to move the energy sector forward. The association gives this to the Executive Secretary PTDF, Dr Aliyu Gusau. He was at the Petroleum ministry under late Dr Lukman and was also the secretary of the Oil and Gas Industry Sector Reform Committee (OGIC) in 2000. We think he has done well in his capacity as the Executive Secretary of PTDF. Basically, Dr Gusau has the capacity and intellectual ability to discuss energy policy issues.”
Iledare added that the award to a former Director of DPR, Osten Olorunsola owing to the roles he played in the final passage of the Petroleum Governance Industry Bill (PIGB) by the National Assembly.
“Olorunsola has been the arrowhead of petroleum industry reform efforts for many years. In 2008, he was in the ministry of petroleum and was a major driver of PIB in 2012. He also played critical role in the final passage of the PIGB in 2018. He was Vice President, Gas in Shell for many years and headed the economic and planning division of Shell for many years.
We recognize his contributions and have seen his presentations cited by intellectuals on economics of energy and power industry. These are the reasons he was given an award for his contributions to the sector,” he explained.
NAEE also gave corporate awards to the Emerald Energy Institute and Centre for Petroleum Energy, Economics and Law of the University of Ibadan for their high turnout of over 200 energy professionals that specialize in economics of energy.
