By Kunle Kalejaye

A petroleum expert has called on the Federal Government to collaborate with industry operators in research and development in order to create sustainable values in uplifting technological development in the sector.

The former Chairman of Society of Petroleum Engineers, SPE, Nigerian Council, Dr. Bayo Ojulari, said the country is faced with the challenge of lack of adequate research and development centers.

Ojulari, who made the call in a panel discussion held at the just SPE Annual International Conference and Exhibition 2012 in Lagos, also noted that there is an urgent need to build local capacity in the petroleum sector.

The SPE boss, who also represented the Shell Country Chairman, Mr. Mutiu Sumonu, argued, “I have seen most companies make interesting strides in developing technologies and techniques, and why have all that collection of efforts not yield required results? For me, moving forward is about consolidation, collaboration and creating values from everything we have because if whatever resource we have does not translate into value it will die a natural death.

Ojulari stressed that except the country built sufficient business acumen and recognized the need to take research and knowledge into something more sustainable for mankind and the development of Nigeria.

Citing Shell as an example, he noted that the Anglo-Dutch oil giant has pioneered various breakthroughs in technology, adding that despite this and the efforts of other IOCs, they have not impacted significantly in the development of the country.

Narrating his experience in Qatar, he recalled that most of the developments that make the country stand out today were through collaboration. “I saw all the technology and it was the integral part of their investment. I also realized that they were in collaboration with some universities where professors were in the center to work with the industry players.”

He noted that although the International Oil Companies, IOCs, were in collaboration with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, in all kinds of developmental efforts, Nigeria still needed to borrow from the Qatari example, by building more research centres.