Imo holds over 200 trillion cubic feet gas deposits – Sylva 

*NGEP committed to take 100 million Nigerians out of poverty

*2020-2030 decade of gas

Dikachi Franklin

Owerri

Serious efforts are being made  to take out 100 million Nigerians out of the poverty level before the next decade,  the federal government reiterated this commitment through the federal ministry of petroleum resources  during a two day national gas expansion programme, (NGEP)   in Owerri, Imo State.

Timipre Sylva, former governor of Bayelsa State,  now Minister of State  Petroleum Resources, said  this at a 2-day programme of the NGEP organized by the Imo State government in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources .

“The programme is geared towards the implementation of Mr President’s promises to take 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in the coming decade by ensuring  that locally produced as well as available, affordable  and acceptable  fuel is sufficiently supplied  across the country,” he said.

According to him,  Nigeria is richly endowed with mineral resources specifically crude oil and gas.  He disclose that Imo State holds a substantial quantity of gas with over 200 trillion cubic feet and upsides of over 600 tcf, informing that  gas is a catalyst for socio-economic renaissance .

Even as the year 2020 had already been declared a year of gas, heads of inauguration of committees on national gas expansion programmes was done on January 16, 2020 but the federal government has declared the year 2020 to 2030 as the decade of gas, he noted.

NGEP , according to him “is an initiative designed to  reinforce and to expand  gas  supply as well as to stimulate demand in Nigeria,  through the effective  and efficiient mobilization and utilization of all facets  of resources and infrastructure in Nigeria”.

NGEP will also promote  the use of natural gas as the main energy source for sustained industrialiazation through the establishment of gas based  industries,  such as petrochemicals,  fertilizers,  pharmaceauticals , textiles, etc, he said,   that the programme had already taken place in Ekiti and Anambra states.

Another objective of NGEP is that human capital will be developed and jobs will also be created in the gas subsector. And on the implementation strategy, he said,  “while the year 2020 was dedicated to harmonious creation,  the year 2021 and  beyond  is for programme implementation”.

He commended governor Hope Uzodinma for his commitment, passion and support for the programme and  enjoined Imo residents to  embrace the programme.

Governor Hope Uzodinma who spoke through the  Speaker of the State  House of Assembly Paul Emeziem,  described the programme as that of change, loaded with cost, efficiency and sustainability alternatives among others.

The governor commended the federal government for initiating the programme adding that it is a progress in the area of development and civilization of  mankind.

“The federal government  has done its bit and it is  a process of enhancement   and our life process and it  will create employment opportunity for our people” he stated, even as the programme attracted goodwill messages from a number of Imo state government officials.