NNPC reassures of energy sufficiency, wealth creation for Nigerians

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has reiterated its commitment to ensuring effective stewardship of the nation’s hydrocarbon resources to guarantee energy security and drive wealth creation in Nigeria.

The Group Managing Director of NNPC, Mallam Mele Kyari, made this remark while delivering the keynote address at the 2021 Nigeria Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition (NOG2021) in Abuja.

Speaking on the topic “Vision and Priorities for Nigeria’s Energy Transformation,” Mallam Kyari stated that for a nation with a teeming youth and a developing economy, Nigeria needed the right policies to unlock its huge economic potential, stressing that NNPC was working towards bridging the energy gap to multiply wealth for its varied stakeholders.

“We see a nation that must integrate by developing midstream and downstream infrastructure as the intersection and bridge to value. We see a nation in need of right policy framework to attract new investment while encouraging existing players,” Mallam Kyari said.

He disclosed that the Corporation has completed the Escravos Lagos Pipeline System (ELPS) Phase II project, thereby expanding the gas supply channel for domestic gas utilization, adding that it has also kick-started the Ajaokuta-Kaduna Kano (AKK) gas pipeline project, while the Obiafu-Obrikom-Oben gas pipeline (OB3) project was billed for completion soon.

The GMD NNPC insisted that the Corporation’s vision was to emplace the critical backbone infrastructure, create liquidity and provide the necessary linkage to markets.

He explained that NNPC and its partners were harnessing and exploiting the nation’s huge gas potentials one of which was the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Train 7 project which the President performed the groundbreaking ceremony recently.

According to NNPC Boss, the NLNG Train7 is a flagship project expected to increase the nation’s LNG production capacity by 35% and seal Nigeria’s position as one of the top LNG nations in the world, adding that Nigeria was in the process of also transforming into an LNG-consuming country while at the same time deepening domestic utilization of Liquefied Petroleum Gas(LPG).

Speaking on the refineries, he said the programme for the rehabilitation and upgrading of the existing refineries was on course, adding that while work had already started on the Port Harcourt Refinery Company (PHRC), work would soon start on the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company Limited (WRPC) and the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company Limited(KRPC).

“The NNPC plans to take 20percent equity in the Dangote Refinery and acquire stakes in other private modular and condensate refineries in the country. Our priority is to meet our local fuel demand because that is the right way to go thereby making Nigeria to become the hub of petroleum products supply to other African countries in the years ahead,” Kyari stated.

He said NNPC, as a National Oil Company (NOC), has made strategic decisions that would enable Nigeria to be energy sufficient through its partnerships and several business portfolios that would add value to the nation.