By Stella Odueme
The Ministry of Petroleum Resources and the National Gas Expansion Programme (NGEP) are engaging critical stakeholders to achieve deeper penetration of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) in the country.
This is part of efforts to ensure that the use of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) as a source of cleaner energy penetrates seamlessly into the Local Communities of the country.
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Amb. Nicholas Agbo Ella and the Chairman of National Gas Expansion Programme (NGEP), Prof. Mohammed Ibrahim met with the leadership of Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), led by the Chief of Staff to ALGON President, Shehu Marshal in Abuja.
A statement by the ministry on Monday said that in his welcome address, the Permanent Secretary noted that “The nexus between ALGON and the Local Communities will facilitate the rapid process of gas penetration given the fact that Local Communities is their primary Constituency”.
Ella stated that his ministry was desirous to see that the Local Communities are well taken care of in the use of LPG.
He emphasized that the use of natural gas is the best way to promote a healthy environment and better lifestyle by the Local Communities.
He advocated simultaneous coverage of the use of gas across the country and its sustainability both on a long and short-term basis.
“The economic impacts of gas penetration to the Local Communities if ALGON is fully integrated into the expansion programme initiative cannot be over emphasized as it will bring about investment opportunities across the value chain, job creation for the teeming unemployed youths and increased domestic supply and consumption”.
The Permanent Secretary solicited the cooperation and partnership of ALGON in facilitating the smooth penetration of gas to the Local Government Areas.
In his address at the meeting, Prof. Mohammed Ibrahim pointed out that NGEP has started negotiating with foreign investors in a bid for them to invest in the abundant gas deposits in the 774 Local Government Areas of the Federation.
Ibrahim maintained that, given the huge deposits of natural gas in Nigeria, its ultilization will serve as a catalyst for national economic development.
In his response, the leader of delegation from ALGON who is the Chief of Staff to the President of ALGON, Shehu Marshal, thanked the Permanent Secretary and NGEP for appreciating their importance as the primary drivers in terms of socio-economic developments at the Local Communities.
Marshal promised that ALGON would cooperate and partner fully with the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and NGEP to ensure that the Gas Expansion Programme becomes a huge success.
The meeting was attended by some members of staff of the Ministry, and members of NGEP Committee.
