Follow Us on Google
Uche Usim and Adewale Sanyaolu, Abuja
Britain has expressed worries that Nigeria has failed to access series of multilateral agency funding earmarked for climate improvement.
British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Catriona Laing, stated this in his goodwill remarks at the opening ceremony of the Nigerian International Petroleum Summit (NIPS) 2020, which opened in Abuja, yesterday.
This was even as the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mallam Mele Kyari, stated that it would expand its operational footprints across the globe, saying the move would enable the corporation boost its global profile.
Laing said it remained worrisome that Nigeria is lagging behind some African countries that are already taking advantage of the climate funding.
The envoy said Britain is very much interested in natural gas and would be interested in working with Nigeria in that regard.
He challenged participants at the summit to provide solutions to the energy challenges confronting those in the rural communities.
Kyari, disclosed this in his address at the 3rd edition of the NIPS 2020.
He stated that though the primary focus of the corporation was to ensure energy security for Nigeria, it had capacity to meet the energy needs of the entire West African sub-region.
The NNPC boss stated that the corporation was working with its technical partners to restore its three refineries to be able to operate at optimal levels.
Kyari added that, already, the Phase 1 of the rehabilitation work on the Port Harcourt Refinery had begun with Phase 2 work in the offing.
“We will continue to support the Dangote Refinery and the other modular refinery projects in the country to guarantee energy security for Africa. Nigeria welcomes foreign investors in the oil and gas industry. 2020 is year of gas. Nigeria will deepen domestic gas use and monetisation of our huge gas resources,” Kyari said.
The NNPC helmsman stated that Nigeria was ready and accessible for investments from all interested countries, individuals and partners, assuring them that their investments would be secure in the country with high returns.
Kyari explained that NNPC would sustain its business culture of Transparency, Accountability and Performance Excellence (TAPE), even as the corporation remains the only entity in the world that publishes its financial and operations monthly.
He noted that NNPC was more than ever committed to improving transparency to win the trust of all its stakeholders as the largest oil corporation in Africa.
Kyari also disclosed that Nigeria had found oil in new territories with huge potential, adding that NNPC was expanding the Escravos-Lagos Pipeline System 2 (ELPS) and building the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano pipeline as part of efforts to expand domestic gas utilization for the benefit of the economy.
