The Minister of State Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, has inaugurated the first Liquefied to Compressed Natural Gas (LCNG) hub in the North-East of Nigeria in Yola, Adamawa State.
In his speech at the event on Tuesday, the minister described the project as a proof of the potential of public-private collaboration in advancing the government’s ‘Decade of Gas’ agenda.
The Special Assistant on Media to the minister, Louis Ibah, in a statement quoted him as saying that the strategic location of this facility in the North-East also carries deep significance in view of the fact that for a long time the region had faced infrastructure challenges that limited its potential for economic growth.
Ekpo said: “This facility in Yola marks a significant turning point. It is a beacon of hope and opportunity, not only for Adamawa State but for the entire region. It demonstrates that the benefits of Nigeria’s vast natural gas resources can and must reach every corner of our country.”
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According to him, the present administration has made it a national priority to harness Nigeria’s gas resources for economic transformation, industrialisation, and social development, adding that the LCNG model is an example of such innovation, creating an integrated solution for powering vehicles and industrial equipment with both LNG and CNG as alternatives to diesel and petrol.
The minister clarified: “This transformative project highlights the Federal Government’s unrelenting efforts to drive economic growth through gas adoption, building on the immense promise of natural gas as a cornerstone for national energy security.”
Ekpo appealed to other investors and gas developers to invest in the LCNG project as there is still much to do in the drive to extend LNG and CNG to many communities nationwide.
He thanked the government and people of Adamawa State for their support of the project by making available the land and providing a conducive environment for the construction of the plant.
Speaking at the event, Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri, commended the Federal Government for facilitating the investment, saying it aligned with the vision of his administration for cleaner and affordable energy sources.
The governor, who was represented by his deputy, Prof. Kaletapwa Farauta, said that the state had witnessed the impact of climate change and initiated policies and projects to protect the environment and ensuring that citizens live healthily.
According to him, the state government will need more of the Federal Government’s intervention and do its best to ensure that the project achieves its goal.
In his remarks, the Chairman of Greenville Company, Mr Eddy Van Den Broeke, disclosed that the company was committing over $1bn in investments in Nigeria, adding that similar gas projects will be executed in other states of the country.
