It was a gathering of achievers from different sectors of the economy as TonCam Communications Limited, publishers of The Top 10 magazine, recognised individuals who have planted their prints on the sand of time.
The colourful event which took place in Abuja was graced by the best of the best led by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, the platform’s “Man of the Year.”
The 19-man success list thrilled the gathering as recipients filled the hall in person, or through representatives to witness, and indeed appreciate the recognition of their silent, hitherto oblivious efforts and contributions to nation building.
In an array of seasoned groundbreakers no one was left in doubt when the organisers of the event led by Tony Iji, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of the Magazine, announced the investiture of the Young Public Official of The Year Award on the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Oil and Gas Free Trade Zone Authority (OGFZA), Bamanga Jada.
Simon Akpadaka, General Manager Finance Representing MD/CEO OGFZA
The 41 year old recipient and one of the outstanding technocrats in the administration of President Bola Tinubu, who was represented by Simon Akpadaka, General Manager-Finance, in the company of some staff of the organisation, expressed happiness at the investiture and assured more commitment to the growth of the oil and gas sector and the country at large.
Jada, a native of Jada local Government Area, Yola in Adamawa State, is a tested and trusted hand with deep understanding of the spectrum of civil service administration, covering financial procedures, international financial reporting standards and public sector accounting.
Armed with a BSC in Economics, an MSc in Oil and Gas Operations Management, and an MBA in Marketing, he honed his meteor with Ecobank PLC, from where he moved to the Energy Commission of Nigeria, rising as high as the Personal Assistant to the Director General and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Commission.
Other roles he has held include as the Personal Assistant to the Chairman of the Board of Directors at Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO).
Some of his success stories since his appointment in 2023 include the creation of new oil and gas free zones such as the Secured Bunkering Anchorage (SBA), Lagos, which was established in 2023, the same year he was appointed: An example of `hitting the ground running.`
He has since then added the Orasi Special Energy Zone in Oguta local goverment area of Imo State, as well as attracting investments worth over $30 billion to the country.
Jada and his OGFZA has put machinery in motion which would eventually culminate in the creation of three million jobs through the Special Economic Zones (SEZ) packages, not to talk of the Brass Oil and Gas Free Zone in Bayelsa which has scored a record $3.6 billion investment commitment through the Brass Fertilizer and Petrochemical Company.
This Oil and Gas Free Zone will accommodate a dedicated gas processing facility with a capacity to produce 340 million scuffs per day, 26km of 28 inches pipeline, a methanol plant, an SBA export jetty, a construction jetty, and a residential area; as the project hopes to generate 20,000 from start to finish.
The SBA launched, Lagos, at the start of his administration involve the declaration of a specific offshore location as a place where ships of various sizes that transport crude, refine petroleum products, drilling and ancilliary equipment/tools from various off shore locations within the Gulf of Guinea and sub-Sahara Africa subregion can berth to replenish their fuel stock and carry other STS transfer activities under Free Zone regulatory framework.
This is as the Orasi SEZ, Imo, the largest Oil and Gas Free Zone sitting on over 140,000 hectares of huge gas cutting through Ohaji/Egbema and Oguta will operate as an international gas centre for downstream investment in gas-based manufacturing and power sub-sectors of the Nigerian economy.
These achievements did not just fall from the sky. They are anchored on a 7-point agenda rolled into play at the beginning of Jada`s time in office. The agenda set out to foster economic growth and development, and to create job, while focusing on Efficiency and Trust, Infrastructure Excellence, Regulatory Modernisation, Local Content Empowerment, Sustainability and Resilience, Investor-focus and Welfare.
The aim is to propel the OGFZA and the country into a new era of prosperity and opportunities – a feat the agency`s Head has painstakingly tailored to sync with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Tinubu led government.
OGFZA Team (From Left to Right) ; Golda Ukomadu, Deputy General Manager – Corporate Communication; Simon Akpadaka, General Manager – Finance representing Managing Director/CEO OGFZA, Magaji Sirajo, Head – Engineering; Jackson Iniobong – Technical Assistant to MD/CEO on Free Zones Development, Muhammed Abdullahi Banahan – Senior Officer, Legal.
The agency`s newest zone is the ORASHI Special Energy Free Zone in Imo State that houses the Egbema Power Plant that could produce 112.8mw of electricity, and generate $1,97 billion for the country. The Power Plant is also designed to pull in Foreign Direct Investment worth $8 billion for Nigeria.
Recall, recently the NESGAS Producing Nigeria Ltd, a gas producing company launched a 50,000mt LPG storage facility worth $200m at the Onne/Ikpkiri Oil and Gas Free Zone in Rivers State which can provide more than a million jobs.
Nigeria`s largest container terminal, APM Terminals, has completed a state of the art project in Onne, with worth over $100m, and a capacity of over 300,000 jobs.
This is in addition to another milestone, the Alternative Petroleum and Power Limited (APPL) coming onboard the Oil and Gas initiative with green/alternative fuel to mitigate carbon emission by pouring in €8 billion worth of investment into the sector.
When it comes alive, the company is expected to export 520,000 MT/Y of Blue and Green Methanol, and 1,120,000 MT/Y of Green Ammonia within 4 years, with a corresponding 300,000 jobs provided directly or indirectly.
At the moment OGFZA has 8 Free Zones under its regulation.
Clearly, these developments have among others, enhanced technology transfer to the country, as the coming onbaord the OGFZA has turned to a much needed lure that attracts major International Oil Companies which take advantage of the ambience provided by the initiative to enhance transactions in parameters covering the Gulf of Guinea, even up to Angola and South Africa.
As Nigeria strive for a stabilised polity through increase in government revenue, enhanced technological and scientific acquisition for national development, diversification of the ecoonomy, among others, the efforts of Jada (which captured the attention of this newspaper), is a silver lining in the country’s sky.
He remains a breed that is lighting the candle of hope for the younger generation given his administrative drive that focuses on human capacity building through job creation and technology transfer; revenue increase for the government as evident in the increased number of major industry players (including international oil companies), ships, etc that are berthing their business transactions on OGFZA growing platforms.
It is therefore not surprising that the organizers of the Top 10 Awards would, after an extensive research into the achievements of the OGFZA added Bamanga Jada to a lineup of achievers that featured a former state governor who was a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and who is now the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
