1.      Background

The onset of the 21^st century has witnessed the dramatic transformation of the global business environment and cross-cultural relations notably in the oil and gas sector.  Driven by the flows of people, technology, finance and information, these business organizations operates in various countries of the world. The on-going exploitation of existing oil and gas reserves coupled with the recent discoveries of new oil and gas fields notably in Africa have heightened the presence of these multinationals in foreign lands.   In the increasing cultural contacts, the cutting edge of the survival of multinational oil and gas concerns lies in human relations and the intricate knowledge of the cultural context in which such businesses are located. Problems relating to the political, economic, social and cultural systems of host countries are increasingly becoming a thorn in establishing and conducting business activities. The cultural and behavioural dimensions in managing personnel recruited from host countries are an added issue to managing a business entity. Investment decisions made purely on financial analysis and economic considerations void of the cultural and socio-political context of the host country may face numerous problems. Knowledge with regards to culture and the broader society including the influence of religion in everyday life may prove useful in ensuring a smooth business operation. The dearth of information and knowledge about the cultural, social, political, religion, security and economic dimensions necessitated the need for a center to serve as a repository of information and knowledge about the different countries in the world pertaining to the oil and gas business. Apart from servicing the academic community with materials for research and teaching purposes, the available knowledge will be most useful for the oil and gas concerns in making investment decisions and running their business in foreign countries.