Nigeria needs an urgent strategy to grow its capacity in the gas sub-sector to spur industrial development across all parts of the country.
This was the submission of the Managing Director, Shell Nigeria Gas and President Nigerian Gas, Association, NGA, Ed Ubong at the just-concluded Practical Nigeria Content Forum in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
According to him, “We need to begin the process of retooling seasoned oil professionals to work in the growing gas sector, provide foundational training for young professionals and engineering graduates and actively supporting indigenous companies to build capacity that will allow them to deliver world-class services in the gas value chain.
“Nigeria’s potential for economic growth and self-sufficiency in energy lay in gas is in abundance to meet local demand and export. I see Nigeria taking advantage of this resource to usher it into prosperity in the next 10 years of the decade of gas.”
He described the Nigerian content policy of Shell as a model worthy of replication by key players in the industry.
Ubong noted that, “Shell’s Nigerian content initiatives predate the local content legislation and we have continued to grow in-country value addition in human capital development and support to vendors, contractors, suppliers and Nigerian service companies to position them for the local and international market.
“Over the past three years, Shell Nigeria Gas (SNG) has always awarded all its contracts to indigenous companies.
“SNG is wholly owned by Shell and is the only gas distribution company owned by a super major in Nigeria. The company was recently recognised by the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) for its excellent service delivery and support to the manufacturing industry.
“Shell Nigeria Gas currently operates a growing world-class gas transmission and distribution network of over 150km in Nigeria with commercial agreements to supply gas to over 150 industrial customers in Bayelsa, Abia, Lagos, Rivers, Ogun and Oyo State.”
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