By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has said that Africa’s industrialisation agenda is at the heart of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) and fossil fuels remains a very significant part of the energy mix required for industrialising the continent.
This was disclosed by Mr Simbi Wabote, the Executive Secretary of the board, during his keynote address at the 9th Anniversary Lecture and Investiture into the Realnews of Fame Hall of Fame in Lagos.
Mr Wabote said that revenues obtained from the sale of the hydrocarbon resources would remain “key drivers of the economies of the African oil and gas producing countries.”
He noted that the pull of investments on hydrocarbon development projects is indeed a challenge for oil-producing countries such as Nigeria.
Speaking on resolving the impending challenge of investments in the oil and gas industry, Mr Wabote said that the key areas of focus that could be used to address this challenge included the collaborative platform provided by AFCFTA to provide funding and the technology required to operate and develop hydrocarbon projects.
“The second is to have in place an investment-friendly law such as the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021. This will come in handy to attract much-needed funds for project developments when the effect of the premature halting of new hydrocarbon projects lead to supply shortages with attendant unbearable price hikes,” he said.
According to him, there is a need to increase in-country hydrocarbon resource utilisation.
“For crude oil, this can be realized through massive refining and production of petrochemicals.
“In realisation of the enormous prospects that gas holds as a cleaner, more efficient fuel in Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari declared the year 2021 to 2031 as the Decade of Gas.
“As variously espoused by Mr President and the Honorable Minister of State for Petroleum Resources at various fora, the future of Nigeria’s hydrocarbon industry is in GAS.
“Thus, I am extremely pleased that the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, under the sterling leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari and the Honorable Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, have commenced implementation of several initiatives that seek to develop the gas sector in line with the ‘’Decade of Gas’’ declaration.
“Construction works on NLNG Train-7 has commenced which will increase the current capacity of the plant by 30 per cent. The 614km-long Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) gas pipeline under construction by NNPC is expected to transport 3.5bscf/day of gas,” he said.
He disclosed that other initiatives that have been put in place in line with the ‘’Decade of Gas’’ declaration include the Nigeria Gas Flare Commercialisation Program, NGFCP, and the Nigeria Gas Expansion Program, NGEP, aimed at deepening domestic utilisation of LPG and Autogas.
On the developments at the NCDMB, Mr Wabote said: “We are also pursuing various aspects of gas development and utilization programs to enhance the delivery of government policy directives on gas. 59. 70 per cent of our partnership investment programs are targeted towards gas development projects.
He assured that AfCFTA holds a great promise for the economic growth and development of Nigeria and indeed other African countries and that “there is no doubt that the Nigerian oil and gas industry has a role to play in AfCFTA and urged all the key stakeholders in the oil and gas industry to align with the industry to better fit into the AfCFTA regime.
Modupe Gbadeyanka