By Eniola Idris
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation [NNPC] has pledged continuous support to NIPCO Plc in its renewed efforts at increasing her investment in gas infrastructures to promote compressed natural gas as preferred auto fuel.
The Chief Operating Officer, Gas & Power, NNPC, Engr Usman Yusuf who led other big wigs in the industry including the Managing Director, Gas Aggregation Company of Nigeria, Mr Olalekan Ogunleye, to NIPCO’s stand at the recently concluded 2021 Gas Sector Stakeholders Forum in Kano, said the corporation is delighted with the company’s efforts towards providing more facilities to enhance natural gas utilization across the nation .
He was particularly delighted with the company’s endeavor in the inauguration of several compressed natural gas stations especially in the city of Benin, Edo State, a feat that has provided access to thousands of motorist to get gas to power their vehicles.
Usman described NIPCO as a very reliable partner of the corporation in the overall drive to improve on the existing gas infrastructures with a view to making government achieve the Decade of Gas initiative being championed by the minister of state for petroleum resources.
According to him, the corporation would stop at nothing to continue to support organizations like NIPCO to properly harness the abundance gas resources in the country stressing the firm has shown requisite capacity to improve the natural gas value chain in all its areas of operations so far .
He pleaded with the management to key into the Ajaokuta – Kaduna – Kano [AKK] gas pipeline project which he said has a lot of business potentials for stakeholders like the company adding that with the knack exhibited in Benin, Edo State and Ibafo axis in Ogun state as well as the ongoing project in Ajaokuta, the scheme would be beneficial when fully completed.
Usman maintained that as the corporation is making giant strides to ensure AKK project completion , it expects operators to plan ahead and fashion ways of putting in requisite infrastructures that will enhance access to gas for potential users as well as creating massive employment opportunities .
Receiving the entourage at the booth, Assistant General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Lawal Taofeek went down memory lane to itemize some of the major landmarks of the company in the gas sector primacy of which is the plethora of infrastructures put in place to enable motorist access to cleaner fuel – gas to power their vehicles .
He equally told the visitors the company’s efforts in supplying piped natural gas to industries to power their machines for higher productivity at relatively cheap rates when compared to using fossil fuels
According to him, the subsisting gas supply partnership with one of the strategic business units of the corporation – Nigerian Gas Marketing Company Ltd [NGMC] has assisted in the actualization of the lofty achievements of NIPCO over the years even as the firm looks forward to more beneficial relationship with NNPC.
He informed that:
NIPCO entry into the gas terrain over a decade ago has provided avenue for employment opportunities and transfer of technical know-how to Nigerians, especially in the of realm of vehicle conversion to use gas as alternative auto fuel.
Lawal pointed out that no fewer than 10 CNG stations and workshops have been inaugurated by the company across the country with more in the pipeline to improve access to natural gas as energy fuel.
