Minister of State for Environment, Chief (Mrs) Sharon Ikeazor and Dr. Thomas M. John (former GMD, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC) will be the Keynote Speaker and the Chairman respectively at this year’s 19th Annual Aret Adams Memorial lecture series slated for 22nd February, 2022 at the Muson Centre (Agip Recital Hall) 8/9, Marina, Onikan, Lagos. The event will start by 11.00am prompt. The theme for the annual lecture is tagged “Global Energy Transition Agenda: Nigeria’s Preparedness?”
The Programs Coordinator of Aret Adams Foundation, Mr. Akin Jokojeje, said the Foundation has also put together seasoned professional, technocrat and experts in the field of subject for discussion for this year’s lecture as Panelists. They are; Mr. Mike Sangster, Managing Director/CEO of Total Energies Plc, Mr. Osten Olorunsola, Former DG, Department of Petroleum Resources, Mr. Osam Iyahen, Director of Natural Resources Investments, Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) and Mr Gbite Adeniji, Partner, ENR Advisory.
As expected, major players and stakeholders in the Oil and Gas industry, financial institutions, manufacturing as well as captains of industries are expected at the event.
He said that the Foundation was established in honour of the late Chief Godwin Aret Adams, the first Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (1988 to 1990), who later became the Special Adviser on Petroleum Resources to former Head of State, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar (rtd) in1998, adding that Aret Adams made outstanding contributions toward the growth of Nigeria’s Oil & Gas industry and the nation’s economy in general.
The Foundation, Mr. Jokojeje said is aimed at promoting and building educational capacity and policy formulations. He disclosed that the National Energy policy delivered to the Federal government in April 1980 was formulated by the late Aret Adams and that it was him that re-energized negotiations that led to the successful execution of shareholders agreements for the execution of the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) project in 1989 and many others.
He went further to reveal that the Foundation has institutionalized the Aret Adams Professorial Chairs at the University of Port Harcourt in collaboration with Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC).
In addition, the Late Chief Aret Adams was a Geologist per excellence during his life time and an alumnus of the University of Ibadan. This has propelled the Foundation to be giving scholarship awards to the best selected Post Graduate students in Geology of the University of Ibadan on yearly basis to assist them in the pursuit of their M.sc degree programmes. As at the last counts, over twenty individuals have benefited from this scholarship awards,
Also giving an insight into the forthcoming annual lecture, the Chairman, Board of Trustees of the Foundation, Engr, Charles Osezua OON, KSG noted that Chief Aret Adams left behind legacy of excellence and transparency in government transactions, development through market growth, good business value, free market competition and many more, which have reflected in many lives he touched, irrespective of tribe or religion affiliations while he was alive. It was these sterling virtues and ideals that motivated few colleagues and associates of him to establish the Foundation in 2003 to propagate and sustain the life-long dreams of the late Godwin Aret Adams”.
The BOT Chairman also revealed that the topic for this year’s lecture is aimed at focusing attention on Nigeria’s preparedness toward much talked about “global energy transition” and also to into the resolution issued at the recently concluded United Nations Conference on Environment (COp26). The resolution among other things was to accelerate the implementation of the Paris agreement on climate change. “Nevertheless, the general concern in Nigeria is about the challenges and opportunities it holds for Nigeria and its implications for the plans and programs for a large spectrum of decision makers, both local and international”, he said.
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