AS the global price of oil continues to crumble leaving producing states in panic, African producers have resolved to stand firm to be able to survive amidst crises.
President of African Petro- leum Producers Association (APPA) and Nigeria’s Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Emmanuel Ibe Ka- chikwu, restated this imperative while addressing news- men in Abuja to announce the impending conference of the 6th African Petroleum Conference and Exhibition (CAPE IV) billed to hold in Abuja in 2016. Kachikwu reiterated the need for Africa to assert its position in the global oil market. He said that over the years Africa has always been the bride waiting to be courted by the two powerful factions at the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), adding that there was need for Africa to stop sitting aside and begin to enforce its positions in the global oil mar-
ket.
“The general consensus is
“The general consensus is
that Africa has always been seen like a non-aligned group. You have two main factions in the OPEC meetings and Africa is always in the middle layer waiting to be courted. But I think we need to do more than just sitting aside and just waiting to be courted, I think we need to enforce our own
positions. We are probably the poorer members of the group, the least developed members of the group, and probably in terms of efficiency, in terms of our resources, and so we need to be able ask to get more.
“In my growing up years, I know of the time when APPA was a lot more powerful. I think they were more powerful when they were eight members than when they were 18. I think APPA needs to meet more often, needs to strategise more often, needs to speak with one voice, and to stop being self competitive among themselves” he said.
He said that Nigeria will be playing host to the 6th African Petroleum Producers Congress and Exhibition (CAPE
VI) from 15th to 17thMarch, 2016 in Abuja. The event is being organized by African Petroleum Producers Association (APPA) in conjunction with the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and AME Trade Limited, United Kingdom.
The Permanent Secretary, Jamila Shua’ra said the world press conference was to demonstrate Nigeria’s preparedness for hosting the APPA come March 2016.
She added that the conference would afford the member countries the opportunity to develop policies, and collective positions in a global oil market. “Nigeria is a strong member of APPA for quite some time and we are ready to host the world” she said.
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