Yemisi Izuora
The Nigerian Gas Association, NGA, has lamented difficulties faced by operators in the midstream oil and gas sector in accessing finances to execute projects.
To deal with the situation the NGA has finalized plans to hold its inaugural Financial Forum scheduled to hold in Lagos.
The Group Managing Director of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Dr. Maikanti Baru is the guest of honour and will declare the financial forum open.
The theme for the 2017 edition, “Investing in Nigeria’s Gas Future”, embodies the essence of the association objective and focus.
According to president Of the Association, Dada Thomas, In Nigeria today, many new projects are being formulated, most of which do not take off because of the difficulties of securing sufficient financing. Thus, project sponsors are being forced to design more flexible and innovative financing packages involving a range of partners from both the public and private sectors.
The forum will bring together speakers whose knowledge, expertise and extensive experience, will provide guidance and know how to participants, to enable them confidently engage in investment activities as well as to evaluate the outlook for the energy industry, and individual companies responses to the funding and investment gap, including potentials for the sector.
The intent is also to enhance investor confidence and trust in the oil and gas, power, pipeline, infrastructure and construction investment process and different types of investments and at various levels of the business life-cycle.
The financial forum will be a full day powerful, interactive and opportunity event that will seek to create a mind-set regarding investing and partnering in the gas business sector. It will take the format of a series of presentations and panel discussion.
The event will culminate with an opportunity for attendees to participate in developing a network and alliance of Nigeria security analysts, portfolio managers, rating agencies, insurance, risk managers and bankers with chief financial officers, treasurers and investor relations executives of natural gas distribution, transmission, diversified, marketing/gathering and combination gas/electric companies.
The NGA was formed in 1999 to promote the development of gas in Nigeria for the benefit of the nation and the various stakeholders.