By Adedapo Adesanya
The Minister of State Petroleum Resources (Gas), Mr Ekperikpe Ekpo, has called for increased collaboration between public and private sector investors in order for the country to achieve its energy goals.
The Minister stated this during the official unveiling of the Gazettes on National Energy Policy and National Energy Master Plan by the Energy Commission of Nigeria at the PTDF auditorium, Abuja on Wednesday.
Mr Ekpo said the task of creating a Nigeria where citizens have access to cheap, unlimited energy must not be left solely to the government.
“To achieve our energy goals, I implore our respected partners in the public and private sectors to collaborate with one another. To face the difficulties that lie ahead, let’s leverage the power of cooperation, creativity, and technology,” he said.
The minister described the road to a sustainable energy future as a marathon and not a sprint, saying it calls for unyielding resolve, innovative leadership, and unwavering dedication.
According to him, energy plays a critical role in promoting social development, accelerating economic progress, and protecting the environment.
“Future generations will be greatly impacted by the choices that we make today. We can create a Nigeria where everyone has access to cheap, unlimited energy by working together,” he added.
In a related development, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd (NNPC) said it will continue to invest in the development of huge oil and gas infrastructure to make it easy for operators and prospective investors to carry out their business in Nigeria.
The Executive Vice President, Upstream, Mrs Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, disclosed this at the ongoing Offshore Technology Conference (OTC), in Houston, Texas, United States of America, a statement by the Chief Corporate Communications Officer of the company, Olufemi Soneye, said.
Speaking at one of the panel sessions of a luncheon organised by the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN) themed Sustainable Energy Solutions for Africa’s Future (Nigerian Perspective)”, Mrs Eyesan stated that NNPC’s objective was to ensure that there was a healthy balance of energy sources in the country.
She explained that though the oil and gas sector was not where it ought to be, much progress had been made between last year’s edition of the OTC in terms of opening up the sector for investments and infrastructural development.
She identified funding as the major challenge impeding the development of the sector, listing some of the bright spots in the industry including the Executive Orders signed by the President to open up the sector.
Mrs Eyesan also highlighted the imminent resolution of the divestment of the assets by the International Oil Companies (IOCs) and the aggressive execution of gas infrastructure projects such as the Obiafu-Obrikom-Oben (OB3) Gas Pipeline, which she said would be completed in the next quarter.
Modupe Gbadeyanka