Nigeria, Cote d’Ivoire partner to promote Oil, Gas sector in West Africa – Ngige

Nigeria and Cote d’Ivoire will partner to promote the oil and gas sector in West Africa, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige, has said.

Ngige made the statement on Tuesday in Abuja when a delegation from the government of Cote d’Ivoire led by Mr Patrick Danho visited him.

The visit was part of a five-day working tour of Nigeria undertaken by the delegation to study the operations of the oil and gas sector in Nigeria.

“It is expected that both countries should evolve more common agenda and strategies for enhanced sub-regional cooperation and solidarity in line with the spirit of the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS).

“This study mission is therefore the initiation and promotion of such ideas with respect to your quest to learn from the Nigerian experience and good practices in the oil and gas sector”, he said.

The minister noted that both countries had passed through structural adjustment and liberalisation policies over the years.

He noted that at the moment, Cote d’Ivoire is acclaimed to have the biggest refinery in Africa.

Ngige said: “the decision of your government to learn the good practices of Nigeria in the oil and gas sector is therefore very apt.

“This study mission will no doubt provide the most realistic industrial relations strategy for dealing with the challenges of economic recovery.

“It will require concerted efforts of industrial relations actors moving towards cooperation and collaboration and commitment to assist genuine government policies which seek to effectively tackle the economy.‘’

He promised that the Ministry of Labour and Employment would ensure that all players comply with extant labour laws, policies, regulations and guidelines on labour issues.

The minister said that the Nigerian government looks forward to fruitful interaction between the two countries in the course of the study.

He commended the government of Cote d’Ivoire for its choice of Nigeria as the country for the study of the operation in the oil and gas sector.

Earlier, Danho, the leader of the delegation, commended the minister for the opportunity the Nigerian government gave the delegation to undertake the study tour.

He said the study was to understand the best practice to regulate the work and collective agreement in the oil and gas sector with a view of bringing lasting solution to the recurring industrial crisis in the sector.