Govt lauds Seplat Energy for job creation

The Federal Government has commended an indigenous oil and gas firm, Seplat Energy Producing Nigeria Unlimited (SEPNU), for its job creation and technology transfer initiatives for the benefit of Nigerians.

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammad Dingyadi, gave the commendation when a team from the firm visited his office in Abuja.

Recall that in 2024, Seplat Energy completed the acquisition of Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited from ExxonMobil, which transformed it into a full-fledged Nigerian oil and gas organisation.

Addressing the team, Dingyadi acknowledged that the achievements of Seplat Energy have had a positive impact on the Nigerian economy and expressed delight over the organisation’s progress.

The minister described Seplat Energy’s achievement in the areas of job creation, transfer of technology to Nigerians and increased production as an impressive development, not only for the firm and the oil and gas industry but also for the country in general.

Dingyadi said: “On behalf of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, I congratulate you on this milestone and urge you to keep it up. I assure you of the ministry’s support in every possible way to ensure that your workers relate with you harmoniously and that you provide them with the needed atmosphere to be more productive and responsive to their responsibilities. We are always there for you and all other employers of labour so that we can work jointly as a team to achieve the desired objectives of our various establishments.”

He emphasised that a peaceful and harmonious relationship between workers and their employers is key to achieving organisational goals and a stable industrial space.
Dingyadi stated that the ministry would continue to collaborate with Seplat Energy in relevant areas for the betterment of the nation.

Earlier, the leader of the team and General Manager (GM), Corporate Services, Seplat Energy, Emo Udobong-Ntia, described the Ministry of Labour and Employment as a very important stakeholder to the organisation, commending the key role of the Ministry in ensuring industrial peace and harmony across Nigeria.
Udobong-Ntia acknowledged the role played by the Ministry in ensuring that the organisation aligned with the unions on how to manage the transition, which enabled a stable business environment during the discussions that led to a seamless divestment .

The General Manager said the firm has transformed into a full-fledged Nigerian organisation, with a Nigerian Managing Director and entirely Nigerian members of staff, and noted that Seplat Energy would continue to partner with the Ministry to promote the country.

According to Udobong-Ntia, the benefits of the divestment to the Nigerian economy include an increase in production, direct and indirect employment opportunities; technology and knowledge transfer to Nigerians and an increase in foreign exchange revenues for the nation.

“These are in line with the growth objectives of the country,” she added.

She stated that the firm has been doing a lot of work to support the Nigerian government in increasing production to meet its target and securing potential additional reserves on behalf of the country.

The General Manager said: “There is an increase in direct and indirect employment opportunities. We are a hundred per cent Nigerian organisation. We do have regular employees and we also have contracts with vendors who bring in workers to work within our facility. So, there are a lot of opportunities. An increase in production means more work for people, and that helps this ministry as well to ensure that Nigerians have jobs to do.”