NNPC Emphasizes Importance of Gas in Driving Nigeria’s Economic Growth and the significance of prioritizing natural gas production and supply.
The Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), Mr. Mele Kyari, has reiterated the crucial role of natural gas in fueling economic growth and industrial development in Nigeria. Kyari was speaking at the public presentation of a book: “The Rise of Gas: from Gaslink to the Decade of Gas”, authored by Charles Osezua, an engineer, the spokesman of the national oil company, Olufemi Soneye, said in a statement on Wednesday.
The GCEO highlighted the global acceptance of gas as a crucial energy source that sustains economic growth and drives industrial activities. Represented by NNPC’s Head of Relationship and Stakeholder Management, Mrs. Oluwakemi Olumuyiwa, the GCEO also emphasized the importance of documenting Nigeria’s gas sector.
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Kyari underscored the significance of prioritizing natural gas production and supply, particularly in the context of geopolitical dynamics and energy security in the global economy. With Nigeria boasting substantial gas reserves exceeding 200 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) and a potential to reach 600 Tcf, the GCEO said it was pertinent that Nigeria leverages the gas resource for sustainable development, energy security and job creation.
He noted that the book aligns with the federal government’s “Decade of Gas” initiative, aimed at optimising Nigeria’s abundant gas reserves for both domestic consumption and international export. Kyari added that as a key stakeholder, the NNPC has played a leading role in advancing the “Decade of Gas” agenda through strategic investments in critical gas infrastructure such as pipelines and processing facilities. Meanwhile, the NNPC has said it continues to record remarkable progress in the fight against oil theft and vandalism in the Niger Delta.
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In its weekly audio-visual rundown of activities between March 30 and April 5, 2024, it said a total of 155 incidents were recorded across several locations in the Niger Delta region from several sources. It said on Monday, April 1, 2024, Tantita Security Services team on patrol pursued and arrested a tug boat, Aya Obaolori II, which was being escorted by a marine police boat in Rivers State. The tug boat, it said, was laden with an unspecified quantity of suspected illegally refined diesel, which was loaded from a barge at Onne dock on March 31. According to the NNPC, five persons on board the top boat were arrested by the Tantita team and are currently undergoing interrogation.