Mkpoikana Udoma
Yenagoa — The High Commissioner of Trinidad and Tobago in Nigeria, William Wallace has urged Nigeria to key into the development and utilization of her numerous gas resources for the benefit of her citizens.
Wallace, while speaking as a panelist at the Nigeria Oil and Gas Opportunity Fair, NOGOF, organised by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, NCDMB, in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital.
Speaking on Infrastructure as key enable for opportunities in the oil and gas sector, Wallace announced that in Trinidad and Tobago, citizens and residents do not own generators as they have 100percent electricity from gas.
While affirming the theme of the 2019 NOGOF which is ‘Maximising Investments in the Nigerian Oil and Gas for the Benefit of the Nigerian People’, advised Nigeria to utilize her gas resources to benefit of the people.
“We took charge of the hydrocarbon in our country, this we do by participating in the value chain of the gas sector.
“We ensure that we take charge of gas resources by going straight in building infrastructures such as industrial parks for our gas, we harness gas value-chain like urea, methane, steel and other byproducts of gas in our industrial parks for our manufacturing and production industries.
“We have the least gas reserve in the world. Nigeria should key into the utilization of her gas resources, just like we did in Trinidad and Tobago, for the benefit of her people.
“We don’t own generators in Trinidad and Tobago, we have 100percent electricity from gas.”
Also speaking the Comptroller General of Nigeria Customs Services, NCS, Col Hameed Ali, (Rtd), urged investors and operators in the oil and gas sector to take advantage of the numerous duty waivers, rebates, and incentives available to grow the industry.
Ali represented at the event by the Customs Comptroller, Area II Onne Rivers State, Comptroller Aliyu Saidu, announced that there has been enforcement of zero duty on all imported oil and gas equipment in the oil and gas free zone.
He said this was to reduce the cost of doing business in the country, in line with the Federal Government’s policy on ease of doing business.
Also on the panel were the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission, Yewande Sadiku; President of the Nigerian-Belgian Chamber of Commerce, Dr. Timi Austen-Peters; Chief Operating Officer, Gas, and Power, Saidu Mohammed; Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Engr Simbi Wabote.
