The Federal Government of Nigeria has set up an inter-ministerial committee to suggest ways of achieving a sustainable gas supply to gas generating plants in the country.
The inter-ministerial committee was constituted in Abuja by the Minister of State, Petroleum Resources (Gas), Mr Ekperikpe Ekpo, and the Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, at the end of a meeting between the two ministries.
Ekpo, in a statement on Thursday, February 8, 2024, by Mr Chris Ugwuegbulam, Assistant Director, Press and Public Relations of the ministry, said the committee would address the challenges of low gas supply to Thermal Power Plant Stations nationwide.
“The committee will suggest means of achieving a steady gas supply to meet domestic and industrial needs of Nigerians in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu’s administration,” he said.
He listed the challenges causing low supply of gas to the Thermal Power Plants to include Decade of Gas legacy debts, vandalisation of gas resources infrastructure in the Niger Delta Region and domestic pricing of gas in dollars.
He expressed willingness to work harmoniously with any individual, organisation and agency to solve these challenges.
Adelabu stated the need for the two ministries to work collaboratively to solve the problem of low gas supply to the Thermal Power Plants.
This, Adelabu said, would achieve an uninterrupted power supply in the country, adding that nothing could be done in Nigeria without stable power.
Members of the committee were drawn from the Ministries of Petroleum Resources and Power, Regulatory Agencies, Operators and Critical Stakeholders in the Gas and Power Sectors.
The meeting was witnessed by some directors in the Ministries of Petroleum Resources and Power.
By Emmanuella Anokam
