Pakistan begins importation of Nigeria’s liquefied natural gas

Pakistan has begun the importation of Nigeria’s Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) as part of efforts to deepen the economic relationship between the two nations.

Pakistan Head of Chancery, Asim Khan, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja that the first consignment of 70,000 metric tonnes of the gas had arrived at Pakistan’s Port Qasim in Karachi.

Khan said that the importation marked the beginning of a major business expansion between Nigeria and Pakistan in the oil and gas sector, adding “in the future, we are expecting much trade in this as well as in other sectors’’.

The diplomat told NAN that Pakistan utilised gas heavily for both domestic and generation purposes.

NAN learnt that prior to the commencement of gas importation from Nigeria, Pakistan was importing from Qatar to meet its domestic gas needs.

As the relationship between Nigeria and Pakistan waxes stronger, that country also recently opened scholarship offer for about 50 Nigerians for undergraduate studies in science-related courses at some of its higher institutions.

It also announced plans to stage an agricultural equipment and machinery exhibition in Nigeria, to make its technological achievements in agriculture available to Nigerian farmers.

Agricultural machinery expected to be exhibited would include rugged tractors and other equipment that could boost small and medium enterprises growth in Nigeria’s agricultural sector.

Khan had said that Pakistan was determined to assist Nigeria’s efforts for self-sufficiency in food production, adding that the exhibition would be a channel to make durable and efficient farming equipment available to Nigerians at reasonable costs.

The envoy said that the upcoming made-in-Pakistan agriculture exhibition was one of the strategies to assist Nigerian farmers to boost their yields.