Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri has commended the NNPC Ltd/FIRST Exploration and Petroleum Development Company (FIRST E&P) Joint Venture (JV) on achieving 10 million Lost Time Incident (LTI)-free man-hours across its operations on PML 53 and PML 54. This milestone was marked with a celebratory dinner and an award presentation ceremony in Lagos.
The event honoured the dedication of the NNPC Ltd/FIRST E&P JV workforce, as well as its service providers and contractors, to robust safety protocols and sustainable practices within Nigeria’s oil and gas sector. It was well attended by industry leaders, stakeholders, and partners.
At the event, Senator Lokpobiri commended FIRST E&P’s leadership and staff for their exemplary safety record and contributions to Nigeria’s energy sector, saying, “This is a celebration of the oil and gas sector.
Ten million Lost Time Incident-free man-hours is an excellent record. It is important to commend the staff and partners of FIRST E&P. Planning is never enough to achieve this excellent record – it takes the conscious effort of all staff. FIRST E&P has been an exceptional leader in the sector. Excellence is rarely celebrated in Nigeria, but we celebrate this so that others in the sector should emulate.”
He also commended the managing director of FIRST E&P, Ademola Adeyemi-Bero, for being an excellent ambassador of Nigeria and Africa as chairman of the OPEC Board of Governors.
In his remarks, Adeyemi-Bero highlighted the collaborative efforts behind the achievement and reaffirmed the Joint Venture’s continued focus on safety and innovation.
“We view this achievement as a shared success. This would not have been possible without the dedication and collaboration of our contractors, service providers, and partners, all represented here today. As a company that has run for almost 13 years, we view our ‘safety first’ culture as one of our foundations.
“In an industry like ours, where accidents often happen, ten million Lost Time Incident-free man-hours of operations represents our collective commitment to doing things the right way every time. It represents the discipline of men and women who work tirelessly on offshore platforms and onshore facilities, who put safety first to make this a reality. We also appreciate the collaborative support of NUIMS and NNPC, whose joint leadership and direction have been invaluable,” he said.
Also speaking at the ceremony, Seyi Omotowa, the chief upstream investment officer of NNPC Upstream Investment Management Services (NUIMS), expressed delight at the achievement, which he attributed to effort, vigilance, professionalism, and a strong commitment to operational excellence.
He said, “We are happy to join FIRST E&P today to celebrate this remarkable achievement. FIRST E&P stands tall among oil producers in the country with over 54,000 barrels of oil per day. We are pleased with the company’s transformational leadership.
“We celebrate your commitment to operational excellence and will continue to provide support for safety. We urge you to maintain your commitment to safety and professional excellence. We work to make a profit, but most importantly, people should come to work and return home safely to their families.”
The dinner also featured remarks from key stakeholders and showcased the JV’s ongoing efforts to enhance safety culture and operational efficiency.
