Petroleum Minister Tasks NCDMB On CNG Development, Investment

Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Hon. Ekperikpo Ekpo, has charged the management of the Nigerian Content Development and Management Board (NCDMB) to encourage investors and private sectors to develop Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) to meet demand and drive the Nigerian economy through gas.

Ekpo gave the charge yesterday when he inspected the Nigerian Content Tower facilities at Swali as well as the board’s facilities notably, NOGaPS, NCDMB Power plant and Gas Hub at Polaku in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital.

He encouraged the executive secretary, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, and all the directors of the board to work hand in hand to deliver on the mandate that President Bola Tinubu has given, saying that “it is time for us to go into the field and do the needful especially in the CNG”.

“We know the president meant well for this nation to drive our economy through gas which we have in abundance supply. When I was meeting with the directors, I talked about the CNG which they are aware of, the importance of CNG, the reason why we need to go that route. It is cleaner, it is safer and it is cheaper than PMS.

“Today, people are talking about end bad governance because they are ignorant of what the president meant for this country. If we have the opportunity to sit down and read out all the plans he has for Nigeria, we will know that this is the best president that we have ever had and within a span of one year, more things have been done.

“In the next one to three years, we will see all the projects that we have put in place coming into fruition and then Nigerians will realize that the president meant well for his people. I encourage all of us to identify with the president, be patient with the president, identify with those that are working to deliver on the mandate of Mr. President for the good of our country Nigeria”, he said.

The minister expressed satisfaction with what the NCDMB has done in the space of 14 years after its creation, adding that his visit as a minister was to encourage the board to do more in line with the renewed hope agenda of President Tinubu.

In his address, the executive secretary, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, said that with President Tinubu’s directive, the board has a task in its hands and assured that the management under his leadership will ensure that NCDMB moves from its current position to seventy percent by 2027.

“We are going to drive the process and we are going to improve from where we are now and it is our responsibility to ensure that we move NCDMB from the current position to seventy percent by 2027 and we will try and make sure that Nigerian companies are empowered”, Ogbe stated.