Chief Timipre Sylva, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, says the Federal Government is aggressively implementing the nationwide gas infrastructure blueprint to deepen gas utilisation in Nigeria.
Sylva made this known on Wednesday while delivering a keynote address
at the 5th Edition of the Sub-Saharan African International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference.
It was organised by Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN).
The three-day virtual conference has as its theme: ” Post COVID-19: From Global Crises to Global Opportunities.”
The minister said as the world was transiting to cleaner sources of energy, Nigeria’s focus was to use its vast natural gas resources to help battle global warming and foster national development.
He said: “As you are aware, we recently declared 2021 to 2030 ‘the Decade of Gas’ development in Nigeria after making laudable achievements and
successes in 2020 ‘the Year of Gas’.
“This represents another formidable opportunity point post-COVID-19, for industry players to add significant value for sustained growth and development.”
Sylva said developing domestic gas utilisation would not only cushion the effects of deregulation of the downstream sector, but also stimulate economic growth.
According to him, it will also improve Nigeria’s energy mix, drive investments and create enormous job opportunities for Nigerians.
“To this end, despite the global COVID-19 challenges, we have embarked on the most aggressive implementation of the nationwide gas infrastructure blueprint, constructing critical integrated gas pipeline system across the nation.
” We have commenced the construction of the major 614km Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) gas pipeline project and have completed the Escravos-Lagos Pipeline System Phase-2 to boost industrial activities across the country.
“Also, in order to effectively develop our gas sector, we have proposed fiscal incentives that would attract investments in the Petroleum Industry Bill.
”We can assure you that these fiscal provisions will be one of the most attractive in Africa,” he said.
Also speaking at a panel session, Mr George Oguachaba, Executive Director, Commercial and Strategy, Total Exploration and Production Nigeria, said the company was committed to the development of Nigeria’s gas industry.
Oguachaba said focusing on gas was one of Total’s strategies for reduction of carbon emissions in Nigeria and monetisation of gas for the government and other stakeholders.
He said the company was involved in gas pipeline projects such as the Obite-Ubeta-Rumuji pipeline and the Northern Option pipeline, while the Ikike gas pipeline would be completed by the fourth quarter of 2021.
Oguachaba said Total was an investor in the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Company and was also supplying gas to the Alaoji Power Plant, Greenfield Mini LNG and Indorama Fertiliser Plant.
