By Clara Nwachukwu

Despite the gloom and doom brought about by the recent crash in global oil prices, enthusiasm and level of participation in the 46th edition of the Offshore Technology Conference, OTC, which opened Monday at the Reliant Park, Houston Texas, USA, remain high.

Turn out of visitors and exhibitors to the conference are quite significant, even as exhibitors deliberately tried to prune costs.

But in the case of Nigeria, which had often been criticised to be a jamboree for the visitors and exhibitors alike, the impact of the current crisis occasioned by the oil price falls, devaluation of the Naira and the impending change in government at the Federal level became quite noticeable as not to be described as a jamboree any more.

For instance, there is no government representation either from the Ministry of Petroleum Resources or the agencies and departments, MDAs, under the ministry in this year’s conference, while the Group Managing Director, GMD, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Dr. Joseph Dawha, was represented at the opening of the Nigerian Pavilion.

Other than the Group Executive Director, Gas & Power, Dr. David Ige, who represented Dawha, the only top ranking officer from the NNPC, was a former GMD, Dr. Jackson Gaius-Obaseki, currently the Chairman, Brass LNG.

Significant changes

Drastically reduced is the number of visitors or exhibitors from Nigeria to the 2015 OTC, as according to the Chairman, Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria, PETAN, Mr. Emeka Ene told Vanguard, “Those without any serious business will not be attending this year’s OTC.”

The opening ceremony, which was usually characterised by a lot of fan fair and crowd milling everywhere was not the case anymore. Even the size and location of the Nigerian Pavilion in the  main exhibition arena was significantly reduced.

The OTC, which is reputed for its collaboration, innovation and networking, did not quite cut it for the Nigerians given the absence of top government representatives.

Such international fora, usually offered opportunities for those seeking attention from government to meet with the delegates without much protocol.