By John Ikani
The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) on Wednesday constituted a Joint Working Team (JWT) with the Gas Aggregator Company Nigeria (GACN) Limited on gas utilization and commercialization.
Speaking at the inauguration at the Board’s liaison office in Abuja, the Executive Secretary, NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, acknowledged the correlation between the mandates of the Board and GACN, noting that the collaboration would stimulate gas market expansion and sustainable development and monitoring of the midstream and downstream activities as relate to the Nigerian oil and gas subsector through commercialization opportunities.
The Executive Secretary, Engr. Felix Ogbe who was represented by the Director, Monitoring and Evaluation, Mr. Abdulmalik Halilu, announced that the aim of setting up the Team is to jointly develop a roadmap and strategies on new modalities for achieving collaboration and coordination among key stakeholders towards the effective commercialization of Nigeria’s gas resources, thereby enhancing market penetration, fostering investment, and promoting sustainable growth in the Nigerian gas subsector.
While highlighting the responsibilities to the newly inaugurated Joint Working Team, he further charged members to work harmoniously to revisit, review and execute the Terms of Reference.
In his response, the Managing Director, Gas Aggregator Company Nigeria Limited, Mr. Chijioke Uzoho, stated that the Federal Government’s declaration of “Decade of Gas” is focused on transforming Nigeria into a gas-powered economy by 2030 through a series of policy reforms, gas supply projects maturation, gas infrastructure expansion, capacity building and robust investment attraction strategies.
He assured of initiating the mobilization of compressed natural gas (CNG) facilities in the host state that houses the Local Content Board, “to encourage the use of CNG as automobile fuel in Nigeria,” adding, “we (GACN) need to develop favorable market-based policies and a natural gas transmission and distribution network; increase availability and access to CNG refueling stations and public awareness; begin with bi-fuel/dual-fuel automobiles in the state and country at large.”
Mr. Abdulmalik Halilu (NCDMB) and Mr. Chijioke Uzoho (GACN) will serve as co-chairpersons on the steering committee. Other members from the NCDMB include Ms. Tassalla Tersugh, Mr. Adedamola Aderibigbe, Mr. Ibrahim Sule and Mr. Brilliant Okon. Representatives from the GACN are Oche Agbese, Tari Mayor-Bright, Somkene Tassie, Muhammed Abdulhamid, Kufre Medo and Ekene Ebenebe.
The terms of reference of the JWT cover three key activity areas, namely, Market Development Initiatives and Strategies, Collaborative Coordination of Industry Events, and Industrial and Innovative Park Development.
