Nigeria: Gas Expansion Project To Lift 100M People Out Of Poverty—Minister

Nigeria’s Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva has expressed the hope that the country’s National Gas Expansion Programme would lift over 100 million Nigerians out of poverty.

According to him, the gas programme was “a practical demonstration of President Muhammadu Buhari’s commitment to lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty by using gas value chain as catalyst for social and economic development in Nigeria.”

The Minister said, “The programme has its main objective to reinforce and expand gas supply as well as stimulate demand in Nigeria through effective and efficient mobilisation and utilisation of all available assets, resources and infrastructure in the country.

“The programme is geared towards the implementation of Mr President’s June 12, 2019, promise to take hundred million Nigerians out of poverty within the current decade by ensuring that locally produced, available, accessible and affordable fuel is sufficiently supplied across the country”.

Mr Sylva, who was speaking during the inauguration of the NGEP in Ekiti Southwest Nigeria, said the country is richly endowed with mineral resources, specifically, hydrocarbons, crude oil and natural gas with proven gas reserves of over 200 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, which, he said had presented the country with opportunity to use gas as a catalyst for social economy renaissance.

Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi lauded Buhari’s dedication to implement programmes directed at improving the lives of the people through job creation, social security schemes, stimulating the economy and attending to security challenges in the nation.

Mr Fayemi said that his administration would continue to be key in life-lifting programmes of the Buhari-led administration to improve the standard of living of the people of the State.

He said, “While we are in full support of the Federal Government in the implementation of NGEP in the state, our ultimate goal is to connect the state directly with gas supply via either Ajaokuta in Kogi State or Ore in Ondo State; the two points that offer our state the best opportunity for connection. We, therefore, plead with private sector players and the ministry to assist us in this venture.”

Source:www.energynewsafrica.com