President of South Sudan, Sylva Kiir Mayardit, has commended Nigeria on the continued leadership towards galvanizing African oil producers to stabilize the global oil market for the benefit of the continent.
President Kiir gave the commendation when he received Nigeria’s Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, who was on an official visit to Juba, the capital of South Sudan, over the weekend.
“We are grateful to President Muhammadu Buhari for sending his minister to discuss issues related to the oil and gas sector on the African continent and particularly to further galvanise Africa’s involvement in the African Petroleum Producers Organisation (APPO) and the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC),” President Kiir, who spoke through the deputy minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation of South Sudan, Hon. Deng Dau Malek stated.
President Kiir, who expressed his country’s appreciation for the visit, especially at a crucial time of its nationhood, also asked Minister Sylva to inform President Buhari about the current status of the implementation of the revitalized peace agreement.
He noted that aside from learning from Nigeria’s experience in the oil and gas business, South Sudan needed Nigeria’s support in terms of security sector reforms and other issues that will lead to attaining lasting peace in South Sudan.
President Kiir also expressed his appreciation for the invitation extended to their Minister of Petroleum, Hon. Awow Daniel Chuang, to attend the forthcoming APPO conference in Abuja in December, this year.
In his response, Sylva stated that he was in South Sudan to deepen the relationship between Nigeria and its sister oil-producing nations, especially in terms of compliance with OPEC’s production cuts so as to maximize the values of their God-given hydrocarbon resources.
Sylva, who is the current APPO President called on African Oil Producers to balance the lure of crude oil production and oil price in the market, because “it is better for the economies of our countries if the price is fair and reasonable.”
He also assured of Nigeria’s continued support to Nigerian companies operating in South Sudan, stressing that African countries are brothers and must maintain their friendship for the benefit of their respective countries.
On the minister’s entourage for the visit were the group managing director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mallam Mele Kyari and Nigeria’s governor to OPEC, Dr Omar Farouk Ibrahim. South Sudan is a member of APPO and produces about 200,000 barrels of oil per day.
Chibisi Ohakah
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