By Abraham Olatokunbo
Managing Director, Shell Nigeria Gas & President Nigerian Gas Association, Ed Ubong, has called for urgent strategy to grow Nigeria’s capacity in the gas sub-sector. This, according to him, would ensure that gas is used to spur industrial development across all parts of the country.
“We need to begin the process of retooling seasoned oil professionals to work in the growing gas sector, provide foundational training for young professionals and engineering graduates and actively supporting indigenous companies to build capacity that will allow them deliver world class services in the gas value chain,” Ubong said at the just-concluded Practical Nigeria Content Forum held in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
He noted that the country’s potential for economic growth and self-sufficiency in energy lay in gas which he said was in abundance to meet local demand and export. “I see Nigeria taking advantage of this resource to usher it into prosperity in the next 10 years of the decade of gas.”
He described the Nigerian content policy of Shell as a model worthy of replication by key players in the industry.
“Shell’s Nigerian content initiatives predates the local content legislation and we have continued to grow in-country value addition in human capital development and support to vendors, contractors, suppliers and Nigerian service companies to position them for local and international market,” Ubong said, adding that over the past three years, Shell Nigeria Gas (SNG) has always awarded all its contracts to indigenous companies.
SNG is wholly owned by Shell and is the only gas distribution company owned by a supermajor in Nigeria. The company was recently recognised by the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria for its excellent service delivery and support to the manufacturing industry.
Shell Nigeria Gas currently operates a growing world class gas transmission and distribution network of over 150km in Nigeria with commercial agreements to supply gas to over 150 industrial customers in Bayelsa, Abia, Lagos, Rivers, Ogun and Oyo State.
