FG Engages Stakeholders to Enhance LPG Penetration

The Ministry of Petroleum Resources and the National Gas Expansion Programme (NGEP) have engaged critical stakeholders in the sector to achieve deeper penetration of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) in the country.

A statement from the ministry  yesterday stressed that it was part of efforts to ensure that the use of LPG as a source of cleaner energy penetrates seamlessly into the local communities in the country.

To this end, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Nicholas Ella and the Chairman of NGEP, Prof. Mohammed Ibrahim have 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.

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 the communities remain 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.

The Permanent Secretary emphasised that the use of natural gas was the best way to promote a healthy environment and better lifestyle by the 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-emphasised as it will bring about investment opportunities across the value chain, job creation for the teeming unemployed youths and increased domestic supply and consumption,” Ella said.

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, the Chairman of NGEP, Ibrahim, pointed out that NGEP had 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 utilisation will serve as a catalyst for national economic development.

In his response, the leader of delegation from ALGON, Marshal, promised that ALGON would cooperate and partner fully with the ministry and NGEP to ensure that the gas expansion programme becomes a success.