NAOC cold room facility to boost fishery export in Bayelsa State

The ultra-modern cold room facility built and donated to the Women of Twon Brass Kingdom in Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, would boost fishing export and improve the standard of living of women, the General Manager, District of Nigerian Agip Oil Company Limited, (NAOC), Marco Rotondi, has said.
 
The project was donated by the Nigerian Agip Oil Company and its joint venture partners, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and Oando Oil Limited.
 
Speaking during the commissioning of the facility in Twon Brass, Bayelsa State, Rotondi said women and children are the most disadvantaged in economic empowerment, stressing that as a gender sensitive company, the project was carefully endowed to the women with the aim of boosting their income generation capacity and ultimately improve their standard of living. 

Rotondi, represented by the Stakeholders Management and Community Development Division Manager of the Company,  Dennis Masi, expressed hope that the gesture would provide employment opportunities for the women and strengthen the existing cordial relationship between the people, NAOC  and its joint venture partners. 
 
He said: “The cold room was implemented under Nigerian Agip Oil Company and its JV Partners’ Social Project Initiative which ensures the implementation of socially beneficial and sustainable project in its areas of operation. 

Also speaking, the Chief Executive Officer, Oando Energy Resources, Mr. Pade Durotoye, represented by the Community Relations Manager, Samuel Onyenwe, said the provision of the Cold Room was a response to a clarion call by the Federal Government on the need to diversify from oil and gas to substitute means of livelihood.
 
He said: “With the project, we are on the right track to changing the narrative of Brass community fishery. The State of the art cold room facility will ensure products from the community are preserved for ease of distribution along the supply chain, which in turn will positively impact the economy of our state”
 
Durotoye expressed hope that the project would place Twon Brass on the map as a fishery export and self sustaining community. 

He regretted that the country’s agricultural products especially in the riverine areas often times do not make it to the cities where the demand is high due to poor infrastructure to preserve the commodities. 
 
He said the situation has further reduced the ability for the country’s agricultural commodities to compete in the international market. Durotoye however, hoped that the cold room facility would usher Twon Brass and the nation to greater height.
 
Also speaking, the Caretaker Committee Chairman, Brass Local Government, Victor Isaiah, represented by the Senior Administrative Officer of the Council, Otonte Iyabi commended NAOC and its JV Partners for not abandoning the project and rated the Company high in meeting its Corporate Social responsibilities towards the Community.
 
On her part, Her Royal Majesty Dr. Josephine Diete Spiff, the Queen of Twon Brass, applauded the company and its JV Partners for being the first to provide the women of Twon Brass a sustainable means of livelihood, which according to her, the Cold Room will empower the women economically.
 
She promised that the women would make good use of the facility as it would better their lives.

The highpoint of the ceremony was the honouring of the Managing Director, NAOC/AENR/NAOC, Mr. Massimo Insulla with the award of an Outstanding Excellent Award of Honour by Twon Brass women for his continuous support to the growth and success of Twon Brass Women in particular and Twon Brass kingdom as a whole.