Former President Goodluck Jonathan and Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State have shared their thoughts on the impact of crude oil production in Nigeria 70 years after it was discovered in commercial quantities.
The duo and other stakeholders spoke on Monday about the cost and gains of crude oil exploration in the Niger Delta region at the opening of the 2026 Sweet Crude Dialogue held at the Conference Centre of the Nigerian Content Towers in Yenagoa.
The dialogue with the theme: Through the Python’s Eye: 70 years of Oil and Gas Production in Nigeria brought together industry experts, academia and government officials, as they called on stakeholders to chart a better future for the region.
Jonathan, who chaired the event, in his remarks, said Nigeria could only make appreciable progress in the oil industry if most of the requirements for oil production are locally sourced.
He pointed out that the export of crude oil cannot result in economic diversification or adequate job creation in the country.
