From Desmond Mgboh, Kano
The new oil and gas policy reforms of the Federal Government will generate an additional gas supply of one billion cubic feet per day, Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris has announced.
He stated this, Wednesday night, at a Ramadan Iftar (Breaking fast) with media practitioners in Kano, insisting that when fully implemented, the reforms will generate a total 2.3 additional million jobs as well as boost the nation’s GDP by $17 b.
He stressed that the incentives implemented by the administration in the sector has the potential to attract up to $10b in oil and gas investments while adding that the presidential directive in the sector will bring down the operating cost in the sector in Nigeria, which is currently 40 per cent higher than the global average.
According to him, the enhanced security measures adopted by the administration across the Niger Delta region have grown the NLNG cargoes from an average of 16 cargoes in Q3 of 2023 to 21 cargoes in the Q1 of 2024.
“Nigeria oil production has also risen from 1.22mbpd in the Q2 of 2023 to 1.6 mbpd in the Q1 of 2024, he declared.
While admitting that the removal of fuel subsidy was bound to cause some pains , he assured that the hardships occasioned by the policy was only temporal adding that the policy was beginning to yield positive results, the most outstanding being over 50 percent reduction in the importation of petrol.
Mohammed insisted that the administration has done a lot in ensuring the security of Nigerians, adding in February alone, the Nigeria Armed Forces neutralised 947 terrorists, apprehended 621 suspects, rescued 466 hostages and recovered 1573 weapons from the criminals.
He added that the military took delivery of new weapons and equipment to strengthen the fight against terror and banditry, citing as example, the recent induction of four new aircrafts into the service of the Nigeria Airforce.
He noted that the Nigeria Army, supported by the police and other intelligence units, has also taken the war to the camps and hideouts of bandits and terrorists, especially in the Northwest and the FCT, resulting that the situation in Abuja had been brought under control.
In addition, he observed that the farmers /herders clashes in the North- Central had been significantly reduced while substantive progress had been recorded in containing restiveness in the Niger Delta region.
The Minister appealed to media and communication practitioners in Nigeria not to play into the hands of bandits and terrorists by being sensational in their reportage or reporting new items which might undermine the morale of the nation’s security personnel.
“The bandits, terrorists, kidnappers, and pirates are waging not only a physical battle but a psychological one with the aim to undermine our faith and confidence in our security personnel,” he cautioned.