Acting
President Yemi Osinbajo has unveiled a public-private partnership industrial
plan valued at $20 billion dollar for development of gas-based industries in
Nigeria’s Niger Delta region.
Tagged the
Gas Revolution Industrial Park, GRIP, Mr. Osinbajo, according to his
spokesperson, Laolu Akande, disclosed the industrialization plan at the State
House, Abuja on Monday when he met with the project development partners, a
consortium of “Fortune 500 companies like the GSE&C of South Korea, the
China Development Bank, Power China and several others global operators from
Asia and the United Arab Emirates in the Middle-East.”
GRIP is
located at Ogidigben, Delta State, and envisaged to be a regional hub for all
gas-based industries, Mr. Osinbajo said. He added that it sits on 2700 hectares
with fertilizer, methanol, petrochemicals, & aluminium plants located in
the park that has already been designated as a Tax Free Zone by the FG.
“Under the
plan presented today by the consortium to the Acting President, about $20
billion would be invested to develop the Gas Revolution Industrial Park, and
generating 250,000 direct and indirect jobs in the process.
“The
industrial park would be a cluster for several industries in one location
benefiting from an efficient, cost-competitive and abundant supply of natural
gas, proximity to a deep sea port and centralized utilities, & services
such as uninterrupted power, world class telecommunications and processed
water.
“The park,
originally conceived by NNPC, is located about 60km from Warri, and is about
1km away from the operational base of Chevron Nigeria Limited. It will be
connected to over 18 trillion Cubic Feet of gas reserves in fields such as
Odidi, Okan, Forcados, located within a 50km radius. It is equally planned that
the park will be connected to Nigeria’s most dominant gas pipeline
network-ELPS, enabling supply of gas to and from the park,” the office further
explained.
Mr. Osinbajo
was quoted as saying: “we already have a Steering Committee in place, chaired
by the Honourable Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and that shows the
level of our commitment. We are unwavering.
“We take the
project very seriously and glad to see you are committed and ready to make
several other commitments. This is a process that we intend to see happen.”
He was said
to have stressed the Buhari Administration’s “unwavering commitment” to the
Niger Delta region, many parts of which the acting president just visited as
part of the administration’s bid to engage the volatile oil-producing region.
He said his
visits to the Niger Delta communities had been mandated by President Muhammadu
who is on extended medical leave in the United Kingdom before he travelled in
January.
The building
of an industrial gas hub in Ogidigben, Delta State was one of the feedbacks
that was received during the visit to the state, he said.
In his
remarks at the meeting, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ibe
Kachikwu, was quoted as expressing confidence that “the GRIP will bring the
much needed succour to the people of the Niger Delta, and the oil-producing
states.”
The
development partners were led by Mohammed Bayo, a UAE Sheik, who was said to
have expressed commitment to the project. NNPC boss, Maikanti Baru, was also
said to be at the meeting.
(Premium
Times)
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