Nigeria’s Gas Minister, Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo, has assured that the Federal Government is determined to advance the nation’s gas resources.
Ekpo, who is a co-chairman of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) governing council, noted that Nigeria is endowed with vast natural gas resources, with about 209 trillion cubic feet of proven gas reserves.
He stated this on Wednesday in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, when he visited the facilities and projects of the NCDMB.
While emphasizing the necessity to harness these resources effectively to drive economic development, he also underlined President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s unwavering support for the gas sector.
The minister stressed that the Federal Government is committed to extending initiatives across the entire gas value chain, notably gas development, distribution, and penetration.
According to him, the Federal Government’s drive is aimed at lowering transportation costs, reducing the cost of living, and positively impacting every part of the country.
He listed some of the key initiatives his ministry is pursuing, including investments in critical gas infrastructure development to support the transportation and distribution of natural gas across the country.
Ekpo further highlighted the promotion of domestic gas utilization for power generation, industrial applications, and transportation, as well as strengthening NCDMB’s capacity to enforce local content policies.
Other notable initiatives outlined by the minister include encouraging and supporting gas-to-power projects to ensure a reliable and sustainable supply of electricity.
He averred that these initiatives aim to expand Nigeria’s capacity to export liquefied natural gas (LNG) to international markets, generate revenue, and position the country as a key player in the global gas market, while also strengthening the policy and regulatory frameworks governing the gas sector to create an enabling environment for investment and innovation.
Ekpo, who noted that 60% of NCDMB’s investments are gas-based, advised that new projects by the agency should focus on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) due to its direct impact on transportation and the cost of living.
He commended the NCDMB for its remarkable strides in promoting local content and for constructing the magnificent 17-story headquarters building, which signifies the impressive growth and depth of local capacity.
In his welcome address, the Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, thanked the minister for his visit and assured him of the commitment of the management and staff of the Board to support the Federal Government’s economic aspirations.
The minister and his entourage toured NCDMB’s facilities, including the Technology Innovation and Incubation Centre (TICC), and listened to presentations from three incubates on their technology solutions and how NCDMB is supporting them from concept to commercialization.
He also visited the NCDMB Conference Hotel project, which is undergoing construction, the NCDMB gas hub at Polaku, Yenagoa, as well as the 10-megawatt gas-powered plant that supplies electricity to the Nigerian Content Tower and selected offices of the Bayelsa State Government.
Ekpo also visited the Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, who welcomed him to the state and solicited key investments in the gas sector.
He argued that since Bayelsa State supplies a substantial percentage of the gas feedstock used by the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) plant, it deserves to host one of the company’s gas processing facilities.
He also called for the accelerated development of the Brass methanol project as a means to enhance the economic development of the state.
