Yemisi Izuora
Mr Bank-Anthony Okoroafor emerged the new Chairman of Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN).
Mr Nik Odinuwe, the Publicity Secretary of the association in a statement said Okoroafor was elected at the just-concluded annual general meeting of the association whoch held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
It said that Okoroafor succeeded Mr Emeka Ene, who steered the affairs of PETAN, the Nigerian oil industry’s oldest association, in the last four years.
Okoroafor was elected alongside other new board members including Mr Geoff Onuoha as Vice Chairman, Mr Lawal Gbolahan as Secretary, Mr Wole Ogunsanya, Assistant Secretary and Mr Nik Odinuwe, Publicity Secretary.
Others are Mr Sheba Palama, Financial Secretary, Mrs Edith Akwaeke, Treasurer, Mr Ranti Omole,Conference Chairman, Mr Emmanuel Onyekwena,Ex-Officio and Mr Chubby Ibe, Ex-officio.
According to the statement, PETAN is reputed as the initiator of local content agenda in Nigeria and has been championing the quest for increased local participation in the Nigerian oil and gas industry.
“PETAN is an association of Nigerian indigenous technical oilfield service companies in the upstream and downstream sectors of the petroleum industry.
“The association was formed to bring together Nigerian oil and gas entrepreneurs to create a forum for the exchange of ideas with the major operators and policy makers.
“PETAN companies and their contractors employ over 20,000 Nigerians of which over 60 per cent are graduates.
“This has a beneficial “domino” effect on economy through the use of local inputs, growth of local expertise and know-how,” the statement said.
The statement said PETAN had since 2005 been solely responsible for organising the Nigerian Pavilion and the exhibition of Nigerian companies at the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) held yearly in Houston, Texas.
It said that the association had also created opportunities for Nigerian companies to showcase themselves in other international conferences and exhibitions.