In a daring transfer to reposition Nigeria’s gasoline business for world relevance, Minister of State for Petroleum Assets (Gasoline), Ekperikpe Ekpo, has known as on main gasoline producers within the nation to ramp up every day output by one billion customary cubic ft (SCF) yearly between 2025 and 2030.
Ekpo issued the directive throughout a high-level stakeholder engagement held on Monday on the NNPC Towers in Abuja.
The assembly, which introduced collectively high gamers in Nigeria’s upstream gasoline business, was geared toward aligning methods to fulfill the Federal Authorities’s goal of 12 billion SCF of gasoline manufacturing per day by 2030—up from the present 7.3 billion SCF.
“We have to develop pure gasoline manufacturing by no less than 1 BCF yearly until 2030,” the minister mentioned. “Nigeria should emerge among the many high 10 pure gas-consuming nations by the top of the last decade.”
Ekpo pressured the necessity for aggressive drilling throughout three way partnership property in varied terrains, together with land, swamp, and offshore, in addition to the fast-tracking of vital infrastructure like gasoline processing and evacuation initiatives.
In a press release launched by his media aide, Louis Ibah, the minister additionally famous that latest divestments by Worldwide Oil Corporations (IOCs) current a novel alternative for the nation to speed up each Related and Non-Related Gasoline exploitation.
“These divestments shouldn’t be seen as setbacks however as a possibility for strategic development,” Ekpo mentioned, urging stakeholders to modernize services and undertake revolutionary gasoline applied sciences to spice up manufacturing effectivity.
He additionally emphasised the significance of well timed supply of key infrastructure initiatives such because the Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano (AKK) and Obiafu–Obrikom–Oben (OB-3) gasoline pipelines, which he described as essential to home and industrial gasoline distribution.
Commending the NNPC/TotalEnergies Joint Enterprise for reaching zero routine gasoline flaring, the minister inspired different operators to comply with go well with, saying such practices not solely cut back environmental affect but in addition create {economic} worth from beforehand wasted assets.
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On tackling challenges going through the sector, Ekpo advocated for public-private partnerships, improved funding mechanisms, and collaboration with worldwide technical specialists to spice up execution and sustainability.
Additionally talking on the occasion, Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Fee (NUPRC) Chief Govt, Gbenga Komolafe, assured traders of regulatory assist, revealing that devoted gasoline property have been earmarked for upcoming bid rounds.
Representing the presidency, Particular Adviser on Coverage and Coordination, Hadiza Usman—by means of her delegate Esege Esege—reaffirmed President Bola Tinubu’s sturdy curiosity in unlocking the sector’s potential to drive nationwide progress.
In the meantime, NNPC Ltd.’s Govt Vice President for Gasoline, Energy, and New Vitality, Olalekan Ogunleye, gave assurances that home gasoline wants had been being met by means of collaborative business efforts.
He additionally disclosed that the AKK and OB-3 pipeline initiatives had reached 78% and 97% completion, respectively.
“We’re on track to ship these initiatives on time,” Ogunleye affirmed.
Attendees on the session included high executives from Shell Nigeria, Seplat Vitality, Renaissance Vitality, TotalEnergies, Nigerian Agip Exploration (NAE/AENR), and Esso Exploration—who collectively pledged to work in the direction of maximizing Nigeria’s huge gasoline potential for {economic} transformation.
