The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has unveiled a new window of opportunity for small-time participants in the gas value chain, that would also grow the usage of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).
At the launch of a 30 metric tons refilling plant of Selai Gas Station limited in Agege Lagos yesterday, the executive director of NCDMB, Engr. Simbi Wabote, said the idea of the new window is to empower women by providing gas cylinders at a reduced price and on flexible payment, even as transporters would benefit through a delivery solution.
Wabote commended Selai Gas Station limited as a front-runner in taking practical steps in the “Decade of Gas” journey. Quoting data released from Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, (NMDPRA), Wabote affirmed that it was the first time domestic LPG consumption would reach the 1 million MT mark.
According to him, it shows that the various initiatives being embarked upon by the government through the ministry of petroleum resources and its agencies are already yielding fruits.
Represented by manager, projects and operations, NCDMB, Adewale Adenugba, Wabote said the commissioning marks the achievement of yet another milestone of private sector taking the bull by the horn in bringing government’ policies into reality.
“Beyond the volumes, the economic, social and environmental benefits of switching from solid and liquid forms of fuel to gaseous form are enormous, which I have noticed is part of your company’s mantra,” he said.
He said the deaths and illnesses caused by smoke and wood fumes are nothing to be proud of for a country sitting on 203tcf of proven gas reserves; this gas station will bring the products closer to end-users.
“l understand that this is a female led organisation. Congratulations on breaking the bias to further support women entrepreneurs in the Nigerian oil and gas industry you can now benefit from the US$40m Women in Oil and Gas Intervention Fund deployed by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and Nexim Nigerian Export-Import Bank,” he said.
In her remarks, chief executive officer, Selai Gas Station Limited, Damilola Owolabi, said, “Coming in here was very deliberate; we wanted to impact this neigbourhood. Prior to this time, there has been a lot of shutdown from the Lagos state government because of the plants that liter around without government approvals.
“So it was very difficult for the few people here to get gas, they had to rely on the road side sellers. Coming into this place was because we saw an opportunity and we had to carve a niche for ourselves and most importantly to create an impact within this neigbourhood.”
Owolabi said: “The plans we have is that we have a cylinder programme where we are going to be empowering women more like partnering with them to give them cylinder at very subsidized rate, then the payment is done over a long period of time, just so that we encourage the energy transition message that we are preaching to them.
“Also we are involving the men, whereby we would be ‘uberizing’ our delivery. Any man within this community that has tricycle, when you register with us, we ensure that you are trained on how to take delivery of gas to our clients giving you the platform to also make money.”
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