The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Akwa Ibom State Government and Solutions Hub Limited have sealed a deal to establish a fully integrated, deepwater logistics shore base in the Niger Delta state.

In a series of tweets on Sunday, NNPC said Governor Udom Emmanuel, the leadership of the national oil firm and Solution Hub Ltd signed the deal to execute the shareholder’s agreement of Ibom Solution Hub Ltd.

It said the logistics base, proposed to be sited on a 40sq-km space in Ibaka, Mbo Local Government Area, within the already designated Free Trade Zone in Akwa Ibom, was modeled to be an alternative to existing logistics bases in Nigeria to offer offshore construction support to West and Central African regions.

Udom thanked NNPC and Solution Hub for choosing to partner Akwa Ibom State thereby making the project a reality, according to NNPC’s tweets

He reassured investors of the hospitality of state and solicited more projects that would provide employment and development opportunities for indigene of the state.

The Board Chairman, NNPC, Senator Margery Chuba-Okadigbo, said the company was working with all relevant government agencies to deliver on the class facility.

She invited more partners to collaborate with NNPC in order to secure their right to play in Africa’s largest market by partnering with its largest energy company.

NNPC’s Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, who spoke through the Executive Vice President Upstream, Adokiye Tombomieye, described the project as a game changer, not just for the oil and gas industry, but for the nation’s economy.

Ibom Solution Hub Limited, a partnership of Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, 30 per cent; Solutions Hub Ltd, 50 per cent, and Akwa Ibom State Government, 20 per cent, is a fully Integrated, real deepwater logistics services base project.

The facility is to offer offshore construction and logistics services to the eastern flank of Nigeria, the  West and Central African region.