By Jacob Ajom

Thirty-Six years is a long time in one’s life. For some, it could be a lifetime. At 36, even a business establishment that could survive that long, particularly in Nigeria must have learned a lot and given a lot to be termed as a worthy member of the corporate community.

Having navigated through the smooth, the rough and tumble of the Nigerian environment, the Nigeria Oil and Gas Industry Games, NOGIG has come of age and signals from its secretariat point to a very bright future for the games.

The first hint to a positive future for the games was dropped by the Chairman of the Local Organising Committee of the just concluded NOGIG 2020, Malam Aminu Zaria. Declaring the games open at the Chevron Recreation Centre Gbagada Lagos, February 23, Zaria said the time had come for NOGIG to go international.

Although the modalities were yet to be worked out, the LOC boss said, “we will start from Africa. Like the local games we have known over the years, the international version would have oil and gas companies operating in other countries come to Nigeria for the games. It will wear a different look, expand the horizon and usher in wider business prospects and connectivity among players in the industry from across the continent.

ALSO READ: NOGIG 2020: NNPC emerge champions of oil games

“After several years of competing among ourselves, I believe it’s time we got companies operating in similar industry outside the shores of our country involved in the games. We should expand the frontiers of NOGIG beyond our country. NOGIG has to go international and we will start from Africa,” Zaria said, to the applause of a jam-packed hall.

There was more to Zaria’s speech on the opening day than anyone ever imagined. Speaking further, he also talked about an all-inclusive NOGIG, where physically challenged membrs of staff of participating companies would have a chance to express themselves through sports.

“We want a NOGIG where every one would be given a sense of belonging. Physically challenged members of staff of our various companies have been left behind for too long. There has to be a way for them to also participate in some special sports that suit them. This will give them a new sense of belonging and make them feel complete.”

The speech set the tone to what turned out to be the most successful NOGIG in history. And during the closing ceremony on February 29, Zaria was not blind to this as he flaunted the final medal table with pride. “All the participating companies are winners,” he said, pointing to the table. “every company is going home with medals.”

ALSO READ: It’s confusion everywhere, Nigeria cannot continue this way – IBM Haruna

Like he rightly observed, for the first time ever, all the 12 companies won at last one gold and other medals at the games. Never had that been seen in the history of the games. “It is no longer business as usual,” he said, stressing, “in previous games, you had some companies giving others long gap in the medals table, while some others did not appear in the table at all. But here we are, every participating company won at least a medal to show for their efforts.”

Team NNPC won the first position with 13 gold overall champions

He observed that every organisation was beginning to take the games seriously as some of them “have recruited younger workforce that has given the hitherto dominant companies a run for their money.”

The final day of the games perhaps recorded the biggest milestone for the Aminu Zaria-led LOC. The attendance was, to say the least, top-notch. The crowd may not have surpassed those of previous finals, but the calibre of those who attended the closing ceremony points to the seriousness government had attached to NOGIG.

Never had we witnessed a serving minister or a Minister of state in the ministry of Petroleum grace the closing ceremony.

This time, apart from the Group Managing Director of the NNPC, the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu sent a representative. There were numerous captains of the oil and gas sector at the ground-breaking event.

A member of the LOC and a former champion, Ogechi Anisionwu said “compared to what we had in the past, there has been a lot of improvement. Like in tennis, we have a lot of greenhorns who are coming in strongly.

“I want to thank the organisers of this tournament because everything worked so well and seamlessly. We have had a beautiful environment, good facilities and good officiating. We have really had a good NOGIG.

Speaking further, she said, “the athletes conducted themselves exceptionally well, bearing in mind that they were representing their respective organisations.

“Ethically, there were no issues as each of the athletes knew they were carrying the banners of their companies. They all knew the repercussion for their actions back home, if they misbehaved.”

From all indications, Aminu Zaria has taken NOGIG to another level and, even the sky, could just be a stepping stone for greater things ahead.

Vanguard News