Stakeholders Laud Alison-Madueke as First Female OPEC President  

 

Some experts in the oil and gas industry have lauded Diezani Alison-Madueke, Minister of Petroleum Resources, over her appointment as the first female OPEC president comes January 2015. The Executive Secretary, NCMDB, Mr. Ernest Nwapa, said that the appointment was well deserved and this has further demonstrated the support of President Jonathan for Nigerian woman getting to the highest levels of their position. Nwapa said that Nigeria can now influence decision at OPEC, adding that the minster has achieved a lot in her role as the oil and gas minister so she deserved that. “It gives us leverage as Nigerians to play a role in the oil and gas politics at the international level”, he said. Also reacting, Mr. Ahmed Farouk, Executive Secretary, congratulated Mrs. Alison-Madueke on her election as the OPEC’s president, saying it is a positive commentary on the rising profile of Nigeria among the comity of nations. Noting that she is the first woman to occupy the position, Farouk linked it to President Goodluck Jonathan’s policy of empowering women and the faith the international community has in Nigeria under Jonathan. He said that Alison-Madueke will remain a good ambassador of Nigeria at all times and called on Nigerians to give her maximum support. It will be recalled that the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, was recently elected as the first female president of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) at the 166th meeting of the OPEC Conference in Vienna, Austria. Mrs. Alison-Maduke takes over from His Excellency Abdourhman Atahar Al-Ahirish, Libya’s Vice Prime Minister for Corporation and her tenure takes effect from January 2015. Before her emergence the Nigerian Minister was the Alternate President of the organization. The Conference also elected, Dr. Mohammed Bin Saleh Al Sada, Minister of Energy and Industry of Qatar and head of its delegation as Alternate President.