TheCable

Maikanti Baru, group managing director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), says in six weeks, the corporation will resume oil exploration in Borno state.

Speaking on Monday when he paid a visit to Kashim Shettima, governor of Borno, Baru who was represented by Saidu Mohammed, chief executive officer, gas and power, explained that this was necessary for harnessing the country’s gas and oil resources to improve the economy.

He said the corporation would redeploy its team of experts to Lake Chad to resume oil exploration with better technology.

The NNPC GMD also said they were in full support of the government’s efforts to reconstruct, rehabilitate and resettle the affected communities.

“We are here in Borno to express our full alignment to the ongoing reconstruction, rehabilitation and resettlement process by the government in all the liberated communities,” Baru said.

“Therefore, NNPC wants to appeal and seek where it can come in and assist because the rate of devastation is worrisome.

“We are also in the state to inform you that in the next six weeks, we are going to redeploy our team of experts back to Maiduguri to resume oil exploration with better technology in the Lake Chad basin.

“This is necessary with our renewed efforts in harnessing, oil, gas and power to increase the economy of the nation, in line with the agenda of president Muhammadu Buhari in job creation and economic diversification.”

On his part, Shettima said his administration would partner with the NNPC on its exploration of the Lake Chad basin.

He said this would generate revenue and create employment opportunities for people across the country, especially in the north-east.