By Adedapo Adesanya
President Muhammadu Buhari has reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to the sustainable growth of natural gas exploitation and utilisation.
He reaffirmed this at the 6th Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) Summit in Doha, Qatar, where he was represented by the Minister of State of Petroleum Resources, Mr Timipre Sylva.
Mr Buhari explained that that gas was important both for domestic use and export via liquefied natural gas (LNG) and pipeline gas to sub-regional African countries.
Describing Nigeria as a gas province with some oil, the President said the enactment of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) was designed to enable Nigeria to derive more value from its natural gas.
According to him, Nigeria is embarking on different initiatives, projects, and policies to enhance the performance of the oil and gas sector.
He listed some of the gas initiatives Nigeria is currently embarking upon including the National Gas Expansion Programme (NGEP).
“NGEP is designed to provide framework and policy support to extend the gas supply and utilisation in power generation, gas-based industries and in emerging niche gas sectors.
“Such is gas in transportation, Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) for cooking and remote virtual gas supply using trucks to convey LNG and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) to industries,” he said.
The other initiatives, according to the President are the Ajaokuta-Abuja-Kano gas pipeline to support five billion cubic feet per day of domestic gas utilisation in the near term and five-gigawatt power generation.
President Buhari noted that with natural gas projected to be the leading fossil fuel in the energy transition, the GECF, given its member countries’ vast experience, was well-positioned to provide a credible platform to promote natural gas as a sustainable fuel for an effective energy transition.
Through the Decade of Gas initiative launched by Mr Buhari, the federal government has moved to transform Nigeria into a major gas and industrialised nation with gas playing the key role as a revenue earner, fuel for industries and necessary feed for petrochemicals and fertiliser plants.
Dipo Olowookere