The Nigerian Government has established an inter-ministerial committee to explore ways to secure a consistent and sustainable gas supply for power generation plants, catering to both domestic and industrial needs in the country.
The committee was formed following a meeting between the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ekperikpe Ekpo, and the Minister for Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.
During the meeting, Ekpo highlighted challenges contributing to the insufficient gas supply to thermal power plants, including longstanding gas debts and vandalism of gas infrastructure in the Niger Delta Region, as well as issues like pricing gas in dollars domestically.
He expressed readiness to collaborate with individuals, organizations, and agencies to address these obstacles, as stated in a release from the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.
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Chief Adelabu emphasized the importance of joint efforts between the two ministries to address the issue of low gas supply to thermal power plants to ensure uninterrupted power supply across the country. He stressed that stable power is essential for progress in Nigeria.
The committee comprises members from the ministries of petroleum resources and power, regulatory bodies, operators, and key stakeholders in the gas and power sectors, with directors from both ministries present at the meeting.
Despite Nigeria’s vast natural gas reserves exceeding 206 trillion cubic feet (TCF), challenges such as insufficient investment in the sector and inadequate gas transportation infrastructure have hindered its full utilization.
