Edo State Government on Tuesday promised to partner with the Federal Government and Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to make Ologbo and Edo State a gas hub of the country.
The state governor, Godwin Obaseki, made the promise while speaking at the virtual commissioning of Nigerian Petroleum Development Company’s Integrated Gas Handling Facility (IGHF) and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Storage/Dispensing Plants, Ologbo, Edo State.
Obaseki assured that the state government will also work with the federal government and NNPC to woo other investors to invest in the location.
The governor commended President Muhammadu Buhari, Group Managing Director of NNPC Mele Kyari, and Minister of State for Petroleum Resources Timipre Sylva for the commissioning of the plants, noting that it has heralded the revolution of domestic gas in Nigeria.
According to him, with this commissioning the state has made history as the event marks the commencement of domestic gas revolution in Edo State.
“Over the decade we have explored for gas in Nigeria and the practice has been to pipe other gas towards the waterfront and export the gas abroad but that has changed in 2020.
“With NNPC now exploring for gas in Nigeria’s largest onshore gas belt, we are proud that the Oredo fields in Edo State account for some of the largest onshore of gas reserves in this country, and NNPC has taught it wise to use that gas reserves in this country.
“For us in Edo we are blessed apart from agricultural resources we are blessed with energy particularly gas to drive the economy and we are taken full advantages of this natural endowment and will collaborate with both local and International investors to take full benefits of this natural access.
“Historical Ologbo has always been an area for production as about 50 years ago the largest processing plant was established in Ologbo. Thank NPDC for the support in connecting us to the gas line,” he said.
The governor, who promised that the state will continue to work for peace because the people of the state are peaceful, noted that without peace there will be no meaningful development or attraction of development.
He, however, appealed to the president to review Gas Sales Agreement (GSA) signed several years ago, noting that the review will ensure that the price of gas offering reflects the reality in the market today.
