Shettima to Launch Nigerian-Owned Oil Facility in Dubai, Proceeds to Saudi Arabia for Umrah

Vice President Kashim Shettima will depart Abuja on Friday for Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to represent President Bola Tinubu at the commissioning and naming of a $315 million oil production and storage facility.

The facility, acquired by Oriental Energy Limited, is a fully Nigerian-owned oil and gas project scheduled for commissioning on Saturday, December 14, 2024.

In a statement issued by his spokesman, Stanley Nkwocha, the Vice President expressed optimism about the achievement. "This facility underscores the global competitiveness of Nigerian enterprises in the oil and gas sector," the statement read.

After the Dubai event, Shettima will proceed to Saudi Arabia from December 16 to 19, 2024, to perform the Lesser Hajj (Umrah) in the holy cities of Madinah and Makkah. While in Saudi Arabia, the Vice President is scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with Dr. Muhammad Sulaiman Al-Jasser, the President of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), on December 20, 2024, in Jeddah.

According to Nkwocha, discussions at the meeting will focus on co-financing arrangements for the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ Phase II) and enhancing IsDB projects in Nigeria. “This collaboration is crucial for Nigeria’s agricultural and economic transformation,” the statement added.

Vice President Shettima is expected back in Nigeria on or before December 21, 2024.

Earlier on Friday, Vice President Shettima attended the wedding Fatiha of Ibrahim Bagudu, the son of the Honourable Minister for Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu, at the Sultan Bello Mosque in Kaduna. The event was between Ibrahim and his bride, Amina Tatari Ali.

Shettima, accompanied by the Nasarawa State Governor, Engr. Abdullahi Sule, and Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Zulum, also observed Juma’at prayers at the mosque.

The Vice President was welcomed at the Kaduna airport by the state’s governor, Senator Uba Sani.

Prominent dignitaries present at the wedding included Ogun State Governor Prince Dapo Abiodun, Jigawa State Governor Umar Namadi, and Gombe State Governor Muhammadu Yahaya. Also in attendance were Kebbi State Governor Dr. Nasir Idris, Sokoto State Governor Dr. Ahmad Aliyu, and former Zamfara Governor Abdul Aziz Yari.

Other notable attendees included the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris; Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun; Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Matawalle; and business magnate Aliko Dangote, among many others.