By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has secured approval to work with select partners to produce Liquified Petroleum Gas (cooking gas) that would meet 10 per cent of current nationwide demand.
This was announced by the Executive Secretary of the board, Mr Simbi Kesiye Wabote, at the just-concluded 2022 Nigerian International Energy Summit (NIES) in Abuja.
He said the board recently secured the approval of its Governing Council for a partnership to produce 123,000 metric tonnes per annum LPG, which is about 10 per cent of current local LPG demand nationwide, from the Utorogu Gas Plant, in Warri, Delta State, to enhance local production of LPG and reduce import requirements.
The agency’s latest efforts are geared towards actualising the federal government’s Decade of Gas Policy as well as the overarching Nigerian content aspirations which are to deepen in-country capacities in the oil and gas industry, create jobs for the teeming youths and retain spending in the economy.
He explained that the federal government had introduced clear policies to make the nation become a gas-powered economy, one of which is the Decade of Gas that seeks to leverage on the country’s huge gas reserves to become not just a major exporter but become a major gas consuming nation.
He also highlighted other board’s investments and partnerships in the gas sector including the creation of a 10 hectares gas hub in Polaku, Bayelsa State for hosting gas-based infrastructure and facilities, LPG jetties/terminals, storage facilities, inland transportation, cylinders manufacturing, bottling, and retail.
According to him, “Our partnerships in the gas sector have unlocked 6,000metric tonnes of LPG storage facilities, annual production of 1.2million LPG composite cylinders, and infrastructure and facilities for processing of 840MMscfd of gas across fourteen states of the federation namely Bayelsa, Delta, Edo, Lagos, Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Bauchi, Nassarawa, Zamfara, Niger, Plateau, Gombe, Jigawa states and the Federal Capital, Abuja.”
The Executive Secretary then warned that the ongoing clamour for energy shift, energy swap, and energy transition by the western world is a pre-notice of the impending stoppage of production of equipment, technology, and consumables required to exploit and explore hydrocarbon resources.
“To overcome this challenge, African nations must begin to develop or adapt technologies such as rigs, and other equipment that will enable the production and utilisation of our hydrocarbons. “Homegrown technology and innovation are indispensable to ensure local resources are not discarded prematurely,” he said.
He insisted that a nation’s natural resources must remain on its energy mix as much as possible, adding that timely and full exploitation and utilisation of natural resources are essential pre-requisites for the creation of employment opportunities and societal development.
Mr Wabote confirmed that Nigeria had developed a path for Research & Development in the oil and gas industry and NCDMB is paying attention to R&D through different platforms, including organising the Research & Development Fair event, the launch of the $50 million R&D Fund for basic research, commercialisation of inventions, and the establishment of R&D Centers of Excellence and endowments.
Modupe Gbadeyanka