The Orashi National Congress, ONC, has expressed profound excitement and solidarity over the news that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will on October 8, 2025, inaugurate the $400 million Otakikpo Onshore Crude Oil Export Terminal in Rivers State — the first new crude export facility to be constructed in Nigeria in over five decades.
In a statement issued in Port Harcourt, the President General of ONC, Amb. Emeni Ibe JP, AP, described the development as “a landmark achievement that signals renewed hope for the Nigerian oil and gas sector, especially for host communities in Rivers State”.
Amb. Ibe commended President Tinubu for his visionary leadership and commitment to repositioning Nigeria’s energy industry through indigenous participation. He noted that the Otakikpo facility, developed by Green Energy International Limited (GEIL) — operators of the Otakikpo Field in OML 11, Ikuru Town, Andoni Local Government Area — is “a bold testament to the capacity of Nigerian firms to deliver world-class projects that drive economic transformation”.
The ONC President further stated that the project represents a major step towards ensuring that oil-producing communities like those in the Orashi region benefit directly from national energy investments. He also joined other stakeholders in welcoming President Tinubu to Rivers State for the inauguration ceremony.
It is noteworthy that the last such onshore crude export terminal, the Forcados Terminal, was commissioned in 1971, making the Otakikpo Terminal the first wholly indigenous onshore terminal to be built in Nigeria.
According to a statement signed by Olusegun Ilori, Executive Director of Legal and Corporate Services at GEIL, the new terminal aligns with President Tinubu’s reform agenda to boost crude production and export capacity, while also enhancing local content development.
The inauguration is expected to be attended by key dignitaries, including the Governor of Rivers State, His Excellency Sir Siminalayi Fubara, the Minister of State for Petroleum (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, as well as major stakeholders across Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
Amb. Ibe concluded by reaffirming ONC’s readiness to support initiatives that promote peace, partnership, and prosperity within the Niger Delta region, noting that “this historic project is not just an investment in oil, but in the future of our people.”