Okowa rallies investors to explore Delta gas reserves

As a way of boosting the economy of Delta state and creating jobs for the teeming army of unemployed youths, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has called on investors to explore and exploit opportunities in the natural gas deposits in the state.

Okowa who spoke in Asaba at a one-day Virtual Gas-To-Powers summit, themed “Enabling Nigeria Resource for Development”, said that the state deposit of natural gas was about 40 per cent of total reserve in the country, adding that if the gas was harnessed, more youths would be employed and industrial activities would increase.

Represented by the Chief of Staff Government House, Tam Brisibe, Okowa argued that agriculture and other entrepreneurship programmes aimed at empowering the youths will succeed if the huge potentials in the gas sector was exploited by investors.

The governor added that the state has over 40 per cent of the gas reserve in the country, noting that Nigeria is more of a gas country than petroleum but unfortunately the gas resources has not been exploited as much as it should have.

He said: “It is because of the gas reserve that we have in Delta, that made the Federal Government to set up the Multi-Billion Dollar Gas Revolution Industrial Park at Ogidigben in the state.

“So, I want to thank Power Gas Nigeria for the initiative to produce gas to power our industries, organisations and institutions which is more affordable and provides best alternative when the public power fails,” he said.He said that the project would not only help to industrialize the state but also provide cheaper means of energy for domestic uses.

Chief Afam Obiago, Chairman, Delta State Investment Development Agency (DIDA), said that the summit was to expound the investment that could be done with compressed natural gas (CNG).

He said that unlike the conventional pipeline transportation of the natural gas to industries, the gas company would move the compressed gas to every other location to encourage industrialisation.

He said that the total gas reserve in Nigeria was about 187 trillion cubic feet out of which Delta has 40 per cent deposit.He said that Power Gas Nigeria had already built a plant at Kwale in the state to produce compressed gas.

The Managing Director, Power Gas Nigeria,Pulak Sen, said that the company was committed to making virtual gas available to the people with the target of addressing gas flaring in the sector.He commended the Delta government for its support and called on other investors to take advantage of the opportunities and invest.

On his part, Paul Nmah, Executive Assistant to the Governor on Investments and Promotions, DIDA, said that the driving force was to create the environment for industrial growth in the state.He said that the government was committed to promoting and initiating investment in the state by providing the enabling environment for industries to thrive and provide the services needed.