Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — The Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, has intensified its push into Nigeria’s emerging gas economy, declaring that the global shift towards cleaner energy presents significant economic and employment opportunities for the Niger Delta region.
Managing Director of the NDDC, Samuel Ogbuku, disclosed that the Commission has already trained about 500 youths in Compressed Natural Gas, CNG, and autogas conversion as part of efforts to position the region to benefit from Nigeria’s gas-driven energy transition.
Speaking during a courtesy visit by the Coordinating Director of the Decade of Gas Initiative, Ed Ubong, at the Commission’s headquarters in Port Harcourt, Ogbuku said the NDDC was aligning its programmes with the Federal Government’s gas development agenda to unlock economic opportunities across the Niger Delta.
According to him, the transition from traditional fossil fuels to cleaner energy sources, particularly natural gas, offers a pathway for sustainable economic growth, job creation and industrial development in the oil-producing region.
“The shift from traditional fossil fuels to cleaner energy sources, particularly natural gas, creates economic opportunities for the Niger Delta region,” Ogbuku said.
He explained that the Commission was leveraging the region’s abundant natural resources to drive economic growth while supporting the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu through programmes that encourage gas utilisation and adoption.
“Gas is the future, and the NDDC is ready to embrace initiatives that position the Niger Delta to benefit from the opportunities inherent in the sector,” Ogbuku stated.
The NDDC boss noted that beyond infrastructure development, the Commission remains focused on human capital development through skills acquisition, capacity building and economic empowerment programmes designed to prepare young people for emerging industries.
He expressed confidence that the Federal Government’s gas development initiatives would deliver substantial economic benefits to the Niger Delta and pledged continued collaboration with the Decade of Gas Initiative.
Speaking earlier, Ubong described the NDDC as a critical development agency and called for stronger collaboration to accelerate gas infrastructure development and domestic utilisation across the region.
“Nigeria’s quest for economic prosperity would be incomplete without fully harnessing its vast gas resources,” he said.
Ubong noted that the Federal Government’s “Gas for Prosperity” agenda seeks to expand gas production, improve domestic utilisation and stimulate economic growth, with a major focus on boosting electricity generation and industrial development.
According to him, plans are underway to significantly increase Nigeria’s power generation capacity by 2030 through enhanced gas utilisation, while efforts are also being intensified to make Liquefied Petroleum Gas, LPG, more affordable and accessible to households.
He revealed that President Tinubu had approved a programme to distribute one million gas cylinders annually over five years, targeting five million beneficiaries nationwide by 2030.
“The programme particularly seeks to empower women by creating a vibrant cooking gas economy in which women play active roles in distribution, retailing, refilling and other value-chain activities,” Ubong said.
He further disclosed that the initiative would move into its state-level implementation phase in July, with Bayelsa State set to benefit from the next round of gas cylinder distribution.
“By the first week of July, we will commence the distribution of gas cylinders to women in Bayelsa State under the current programme,” he added.
