Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) has reaffirmed its commitment to increasing gas utilisation in Nigeria’s domestic market, disclosing that it has invested about $1 billion annually over the past decade in Nigerian content development.
The company’s General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Olusoga Oduselu, made the disclosure during a one-day Oil and Gas Reporting Workshop organised by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Delta State Council, in partnership with Chevron Nigeria Limited in Asaba.
The workshop, themed “Enhancing Professional Skills and Ethical Standards in Oil & Gas Journalism,” brought together journalists and industry stakeholders to discuss developments in Nigeria’s petroleum sector and the role of the media in reporting industry issues.
Represented by CNL’s Communications Manager, Dr. Victor Anyaegbudike, Oduselu highlighted Chevron’s contributions to community development in the Niger Delta through its Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU) model.
According to him, the GMoU framework gives host communities greater control over their development agenda by allowing them to identify their priorities and formulate five-year development plans, while Chevron provides funding and works with non-governmental organisations to support and monitor implementation.
He noted that key principles embedded in the GMoU model, including participation, transparency, accountability, sustainability and capacity building, were later reflected in the Host Community Development Trust (HCDT) provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
Oduselu also said Chevron’s investments in Nigerian content had contributed significantly to the growth of indigenous contractors and local capacity development across the Niger Delta region.
Speaking on energy transition and gas development, he described natural gas as Nigeria’s primary transition fuel in the journey towards cleaner energy and stressed the company’s determination to support increased domestic gas utilisation.
He stated that Chevron had executed several gas-gathering projects, including the Meji and Escravos gas projects, aimed at reducing gas flaring and making more gas available for domestic consumption.
The company also disclosed that it is undertaking new exploration activities in the Niger Delta and collaborating with other major oil companies on strategic projects designed to boost production and enhance energy security.
Reaffirming Chevron’s long-term commitment to Nigeria, Oduselu said the company remains actively involved in onshore, shallow-water, offshore and deep-offshore operations.
“Chevron remains committed to Nigeria. Right now, we are not going anywhere,” he said, adding that the company’s continued presence is anchored on strong partnerships with host communities and confidence in the country’s energy sector.
In his remarks, Delta State Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Comrade Churchill Oyowe, described the partnership with Chevron as timely given the strategic role of the oil and gas industry in Nigeria’s economy and national development.
Oyowe emphasised that journalists have a responsibility beyond merely reporting events, noting that the public depends on the media for accurate, balanced, credible and properly contextualised information.
Also speaking at the workshop, the Head of the Department of Film and Multimedia Studies at Dennis Osadebay University, Asaba, Dr. Patrick Edema, urged journalists covering the petroleum sector to deepen their understanding of the industry.
Presenting a paper titled “Professional Standards in Oil and Gas Reporting: Accuracy, Ethics, and Responsible Journalism,” Edema said effective reporting of the oil and gas industry requires more than basic journalism skills and familiarity with industry terminology.
According to him, journalists must understand the entire oil and gas value chain, including exploration and production, transportation, processing, refining, distribution and marketing, to provide accurate and insightful coverage of developments in the sector.
He stressed that improved industry knowledge would enhance the quality of reporting and help the public better understand the opportunities and challenges facing Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
