An Ijaw environmental activist, Dr Bolouowei Kurokeme, has called on the Federal Government and stakeholders in the oil and gas industry to urgently revisit and recognise the contributions of former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Dan Etete, describing him as the architect of Nigeria’s oil sovereignty and a champion of indigenous participation in the energy sector.

Kurokeme, who disclosed this during an interview with journalists yesterday, also highlighted Etete’s enduring legacy, especially his bold policies in the 1990s that laid the groundwork for Nigeria’s current gains in local content development.

According to him, Etete’s foresight in pioneering local content is the foundation for the recent dynamic Nigeria First policy by President Bola Tinubu.

He said: “I wish to state, with a high sense of responsibility, that Dan Atete did not have a direct interest in OPL 245. It was the directors of Malabu who appointed him as a consultant to the oil firm.

“For the record, Etete was the one who set up the Marginal Field Decree of 1998 for the benefit of all Nigerians to be included in the oil and gas industry.”

“Please note that the foresight of Etete in pioneering local content is the foundation for the recent dynamic Nigeria First Policy by the President that emphasises made in Nigeria goods.

“By the end of 2024, Nigeria achieved an unprecedented 56 per cent local content participation in oil and gas, as reported by the NCDMB. But we must never forget that this journey started with the visionary leadership of Etete.

“He was a pioneer who dared to challenge foreign monopolies and empowered Nigerian entrepreneurs at a time when it was unpopular, even dangerous, to do so.”

Kurokeme also noted that Etete’s tenure from 1995 to 1998, under the regime of late General Sani Abacha, coincided with a politically volatile era marked by international scrutiny and deep-rooted foreign dominance over Nigeria’s oil resources.

He added that despite the turbulent environment, Etete championed the allocation of oil blocks to Nigerian-owned companies, including the now-famous OPL 245 to Malabu Oil and Gas, in a bid to promote economic sovereignty.

He said: These allocations were not arbitrary handouts. They were strategic interventions aimed at transferring wealth, building local capacity and giving Nigerians a direct stake in their oil wealth.”