The Secretary General of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Haitham Al-Ghais, said Nigeria had made positive contributions to the organisation since becoming a member in 1971.

Al-Ghais said this in an interview with newsmen on the sidelines of the ongoing 7th Nigeria International Energy Summit (NIES 2024) on Thursday in Abuja.

He described Nigeria as a critical and integral part of the organisation, and that the country had played outstanding roles with positive contributions that had impacted the decisions of OPEC.

He extolled the valuable contributions of Nigeria’s public servants who had served as OPEC Secretary-General and President of OPEC Ministerial Conference, among others.

“It is an honour for me to come to Nigeria, to participate in the 7th summit organised by one of our important member countries in OPEC.

“It is my first official visit to Nigeria since my assumption of office as the OPEC Secretary-General, a long overdue visit.

“I congratulate Nigeria for hosting such a widely attended and effective gathering at a time when it is critically needed not only for Nigeria but for Africa and the world, where energy leads in discussion.

“I had an opportunity of meeting many Nigerian dignitaries and we exchanged views on the status of the global energy market, transition and its implication for Africa and the world at large,” he said.

The OPEC Secretary-General said energy security was an important component, adding that energy transition could not be discussed without looking at energy security.

He said he was happy that the summit also discussed energy poverty, which Africa had recorded with so many people lacking access to basic electricity.

“The summit presented a very good chance for people to discuss all these aspects with a global perspective, as Nigeria takes its transition forward while also continuing to depend on the conventional source of energy, oil and gas,” he said.

According to Al-Ghais, Nigeria and OPEC have things in common as Nigeria became an independent nation in 1960, the same year OPEC was formed.

“The relationship between Nigeria and OPEC will continue to flourish in the years to come with support for each other.

“Nigeria is the largest oil producer in Africa and an important player in the global scene.

“Oil represents such an important part of the Nigerian economy and Nigerian development, and will continue to do so in decades to come,” he added. (NAN)