More facts have emerged on the team of Nigerian top government officials at the US-Nigeria Binational Commission Meeting held in Washington DC earlier this week.
It was that gathered that the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva was not only part of the Nigerian delegation, but will lead presentation on investments in the nation’s oil and gas sector.
A top government official in the Ministry confided in Business Hilights that “To strengthen cooperation in the energy sector, Chief Sylva accompanied by the Group Managing Director of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Mallam Mele Kyari and they have held a strategic meeting with the Assistant Secretary and U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Energy Resources, Frank Fannon.”
The official averred that “The focus was on upstream investments and support for the ongoing NNPC’s infrastructure projects.”
Continuing, the official revealed that “In a bid to secure alignment on US Oil and Gas investments while deepening support for NNPC’s infrastructure projects, Chief Sylva accompanied by the GMD of NNPC, Mallam Kyari, and Hon. Musa Sarkin Adar met the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of International Affairs of the U.S. Department of Energy, Matthew Zais.
“As I earlier explained, strategic meetings were held with the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation and it is important to note that Chief Sylva met the Managing Director for Africa, Worku Gachou and other Top Executives to seek financing intervention for NNPC’s projects and deepening of engagements with Investors to deliver infrastructure projects,” the Ministry top official averred.
Chief Sylva also led the team to visit the U.S. Trade and Development Agency where he met with the Ag. Deputy Director, Todd Abrajano and other key executives. The conversation focused on establishing strategic investor relations that will culminate in investments in Nigeria.
It was further gathered that the US Department of State also has the pleasure of receiving Nigerian Foreign Minister Geoffrey Onyeama and his interagency delegation from the Federal Republic of Nigeria to Washington, D.C., for the 2020 U.S.-Nigeria Binational Commission.
The theme of this year’s BNC is “Innovation and Ingenuity,” which reflects the entrepreneurial, inventive, and industrious spirit shared by the Nigerian and American people.
Established ten years ago, the Binational Commission is the premiere platform of engagement between Governments of the United States and Nigeria to expand cooperation and advance shared goals. Our delegations will discuss areas of strategic collaboration toward measurable progress, particularly in the areas of trade and investment, development, good governance, and security cooperation.
