Governor of California, Gavin Newsom has appointed a Nigerian-born American Engineer, Uduak-Joe Ntuk, as the State Oil and Gas Supervisor.

Uduak-Joe Ntuk is now responsible for managing the Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources (DOGGR), which uses science and sound engineering practices to regulate the drilling, operation and permanent closure of energy resources wells.

A statement from the governor’s office said that Ntuk, who served as the Petroleum Administrator for the City of Los Angeles, is the first Nigerian-American to hold the position in the history of the US state. The statement reads:

 “In Los Angeles, he was responsible for oversight and policy of oil fields, gas storage facilities, petroleum refineries and pipeline franchise agreements.

“Prior to joining the city of Los Angeles, he had worked for several companies, including Tyco, General Electric and Chevron.

“Being a technical professional with both public and private sector energy experience, he provided technical advice to the Mayor, City Council, and various City Departments.

It added that Ntuk, a strong believer in Nigeria and its potentials, had expressed his will to share his expertise to further develop the Nigerian petroleum industry and the possibilities of building a mutually-beneficial relationship with the state of California.

“A Nigerian-based Oil and Gas Consulting Company is exploring the possibilities and has initiated discussions regarding building a business relationship between the Nigerian oil and gas industry and the state of California through Mr Ntuk.

“He is the first Nigerian-American to hold this position in California’s history and his family is from the Port City of Calabar, Cross River State.”