Yemisi Izuora
The chairman House of Representatives Committee on Gas Fred Agbedi has given itself a period of one month to consider all aspects of the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB.
Agbedi, while speaking at the Natural Gas Business Forum 2018 hosted by the Nigerian Gas Association in Lagos,said the decision to fast track the passage of the bill was borne out of the need to lay down solid foundation for an enduring petroleum laws in the country
He said the house would have passed the bill earlier,but was constrained by floods of conflicting presentations by gas stakeholders on the bill.
He said the lower house is desirous of fashioning out robust laws that would strengthen the nation’s business environment through collaboration with stakeholders in the gas sector.
Speaking,Barrister Justine Ezeala,who represented the Managing Director of Nigerian Gas Company emphasized the need for the private and public sector collaboration to ensure the growth of the nation’s gas sector.
He said the NGC is now well positioned to changing the face of gas and also ensuring that the sector deliver the right input to the sector
In his remarks,Edd Ubong,Managing Director of Shell Nigeria Gas,said his company has been in the vanguard of developing domestic gas sector as well as initiated vertical integrated program leading to Shell’s divestment into the power sector.
This,he said,has enabled his company to develop 650MW of power plant and linked up several industrial and manufacturing businesses into the country’s supply network.
Speaking,Dr Lai Fatona,Managing Director of ND Western,lamented fragmented policy of Federal government which has caused serious setback to the nation’s gas sector.
He said the Nigerian Gas Master Plan,which was nurtured by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, designed to transform the sector has jettisoned by the current government in favour of a new policy direction called 7-Big Wins of the current government.
He advised that once a policy document is made and adopted,efforts should be made to implement it.