The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr Ibe Kachikwu has disclosed that the federal government will from next year stop sponsoring delegates especially government officials to the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) which takes place yearly in the United States of America.

The Minister made this known at a meeting with investors, business leaders, and stakeholders in the oil and gas sector in Houston.

The OTC, currently on-going is an annual event that brings experts in the oil and gas sector to brainstorm and find new solutions to challenges in the industry.

According to Kachikwu, the government last year sponsored 250 delegates while this year's number to the OTC has been cut to 50.

Next year, he said, the government will only sponsor less than 20 officials whose job functions require them to attend.

“There will no longer be sponsorship to the OTC except for very technical experts. Every one willing to come to the conference in future should fund his way," he said.

“We will however work to build an OTC that the World would buoyantly come to the same way we buoyantly come to yours,'' he added.