With 208 Trillion Cubic Feet In Proven Gas Reserves, Nigeria Has No Business With Energy Poverty -Minister

Stakeholders at the ongoing workshop in the nation’s gas sector

By Miriam Humbe

Minister of State Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo on Thursday said that with over 208 trillion cubic feet in proven Gas Reserves, Nigeria has no business with Energy Poverty.

He said that it was imperative for all to rise up as a people to tackle these challenges head-on.

The Minister said this in a speech at the ongoing workshop with internal stakeholders in the nation’s gas sector.

The Workshop was aimed at repositioning the Nigerian Gas Sector for optimal performance, in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

This was in order to unlock the nation’s abundant Gas resources for economic development and poverty eradication.

The workshop was the second in a series of engagements with Stakeholders in the Gas Sector, the first being the Consultative Meeting the Minister held with External Stakeholders in the Gas Sector on February 06, 2024.

The earlier meeting provided a platform for the Minister to hear from the various Associations and Groups operating across the Gas Value Chain with a view to understanding the pain points of the Industry Operators.

The Minister said: “It is my expectation that having heard from the Operators in our Industry, we as Policymakers, Regulators and Policy implementers will internalize the feedback from our Stakeholders and Customers to proffer workable solutions to tackle the issues bedevilling our nation’s Gas sector.

As part of efforts to ensure a high level of performance and accountability within the Federal Government, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, through the office of the Special Adviser on Policy and Coordination, has released the Presidential Priorities and Ministerial Deliverables for 2023 – 2027 to create a performance tracking mechanism for the Minister of Petroleum Resources and relevant Agencies reporting to him.

The workshop was themed: “Harnessing Nigeria’s Proven Gas Reserves for Economic Growth and Development”.

It provided a platform for stakeholders to galvanize action and take the necessary steps to release the nation’s abundant gas reserves to accelerate the country’s industrialization and develop the economy for the good of our teeming population.