Daji Sani in Yola
As part of efforts to mitigate environment pollution and global warming, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has stressed the need to promote the use of gas, instead of diesel and petrol.
This necessitated an engagement of oil and gas stakeholders as well as major consumers drawn from the six states of the north east in Yola by the NMDPRA.
The gathering was to create awareness on both domestic and economic benefits of gas utilisation in Nigeria.
In his welcome address, the Chief Executive, NMDPRA, Farouk Ahmed, said the engagement sought to encourage large consumers of petroleum products to not only operate within the regulatory spaces, but also to become aware of the comparative advantages between the difference fuels particularly gas which has been designated as Nigeria’s transition fuel.
According to Ahmed, it was in this regard that federal government put in place various initiatives and policies frameworks, including the National Gas Expansion programme (NGEP)and the Decade of Gas Programme (DOGP).
He further explained that the Petroleum Industry Act (2021) has also established within the Authority, the Midstream and Downstream Gas infrastructure fund to catalyse gas investments.
“These efforts are yielding significant results yet more collaborations and interventions are needed to improve domestic gas utilisation.
“It is therefore our hope that this engagement will create the necessary awareness and make the compelling case for industry operators to foster a compliance culture which alone guarantees safer environment and sustainable facilities” he said
In his presentation, the Executive Director of Distribution System, Storage and Retailing Infrastructure (DSSRI), O.K Ukoha, represented by Engr. Yusuf Segun, Regional Controller in Maiduguri, Borno State, said gas was preferred because it has a lot of domestic and economic benefits to Nigerians.
He said the use of gas would encourage clean environment and sustainable business, reduce global warming and risk in country
“This engagement also sets the objective to enlighten end users’ category on the need to urgently obtain the requisite petroleum storage licence to engender the transition from white products to gas at the last mile.
“Therefore, we encourage operators and businesses to take advantage of the evolving opportunities in the gas value chain for sustainable business growth by positioning their energy need to embrace gas derivatives in order to hedge against future global uncertainties to Diesel supply,” he said
He enjoined the support and collaborations of operators and businesses to achieve a safer and cheaper energy operating environment.
One of the participants at the forum, Prof. Sanusi Mohammed Ibrahim, from the University of Maiduguri, said the engagement shared some vital information regarding benefits of gas over the diesel which most establishment heavily depend on to generate electricity.
