FG Moves to Reactivate $20bn Ogidigben Gas Project, Reconstitutes Committees

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

The federal government is set to reactivate the $20 billion Ogidigben Gas Revolution Industrial Park, with the inauguration of a steering committee and a technical working group, comprising senior government officials.

In a statement, the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, said the steering committee and technical working group were reconstituted by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva.

The committee comprises Sylva, who heads the team, while the Governor of Delta State, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa will be co-chair.

Other members are the Managing Director, Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority, Adesoji Adesugba, who is to act as Secretary as well as the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Gabriel Aduda , who is a member.

Other members of the committee include the Director (Upstream), Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Kamoru Busari, Group Chief Executive, Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), Mele Kyari, Acting Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Mohammed Bello-Koko and the Executive General Manager, Alpha Grip Management Company (AGMC), Sheikh Mohamed Bayorh.

 In addition, the Technical Working Group has the Technical Assistant to Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas Policy and Business Implementation), Dr. Justice Derefaka, as the Project Leader and Gregory Fulus Zi, Director, Legal Services, Ministry of Petroleum Resources/Legal as member.

Others are representatives of Delta State Government and AGMC; technical and legal representatives of the NNPC; the Nigerian Export Promotion Zones Authority (NEPZA) and the NPA.

Speaking during the inauguration of the committee and technical working group, Sylva disclosed that the project will continue to remain a national priority, especially as it was conceived to be Africa’s largest gas city.

He said that when completed, the park will host fertilizer, petrochemical, aluminium smelters, methanol plants and many secondary industries that would generate thousands of employments.

The minister added that it was important that Nigeria continues to build investors’ confidence, attract foreign direct investment as well as give the  Park the level of executive leadership it requires.

Sylva noted that the project would continue to be a strategic national interest that can alleviate the Niger Delta crisis and impact positively on the economy.

He directed the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, to take charge of the committee and ensure that it delivers on its Terms of Reference (ToR), especially since the two leading members may not be available all the time.

In his comments, Director, Upstream, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Kamoru, recalled that the park project started during the administration of former minister, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, with the constitution of the Steering Committee and the Technical Working Group of the project.

He added that the project implementation agreement was in the process of being executed, but was stalled due to some unanticipated developments.

Busari expressed optimism that the reconstituted steering committee will see to the actualisation of the project this time.