The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Heineken Lokpobiri, has made a resolute commitment to boost Nigeria’s crude oil production to meet its allocated quota. This declaration coincided with a pledge from his counterpart in the Gas sector, Ekperikpo Ekpo, who promised to harness Nigeria’s abundant natural gas resources to lower transportation costs,leadership report.
These statements were delivered during their inaugural meeting with the heads of various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies in Abuja. Lokpobiri, emphasizing his determination to sustainably increase crude oil production, expressed his willingness to venture into the field, asserting his preference for action over prolonged office work. He proclaimed himself a “creek boy” and stressed his intention to collaborate with agencies to achieve tangible results.
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Lokpobiri stated, “I am here to channel my abundant energy into revitalizing the sector. I won’t be confined to my office; I’ll be out in the field working with experts to achieve our production goals. Talking alone won’t boost production; we need concrete results.”
Similarly, Minister Ekpo, responsible for Gas, outlined the ministry’s commitment to maximize the utilization of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) for power infrastructure, aiming to mitigate transportation costs, especially after the removal of the PMS subsidy. He pledged to collaborate with department heads to establish a sustainable framework for gas utilization to benefit Nigerians.
Ekpo highlighted Nigeria’s substantial proven natural gas reserves, positioning the country among the global leaders in gas reserves. He emphasized that tapping into these reserves could stimulate the domestic economy, generating employment opportunities and supporting economic growth.
Regarding CNG, Ekpo stated, “With the removal of the fuel subsidy, it falls upon our ministry to provide a sustainable alternative to PMS. As part of the recently approved Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative, we will maximize the use of CNG in the short term and further expand its installation for power generation infrastructure.”
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Gabriel Aduda, underscored the urgent need to ramp up production.
