…ICRC pledges to drive investments in pipelines under PPP
Chibisi Ohakah
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has said that it is working in collaboration with the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) to optimize the participation of Nigerians in pipeline construction and to get more value from them.
Tasking members of the Pipelines Professionals Association of Nigeria (PLAN) who paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja, the group managing director of the NNPC, Mallam Mele Kyari, said that the security and integrity of pipelines were a big challenge in the industry, and called on all stakeholders to collaborate to arrest the situation.
He tasked PLAN further to come up with appropriate technology to stem the current challenges associated with oil and gas pipelines vandalism. “For us, what is of concern is the safety and security of our existing infrastructure, beyond just laying and maintaining the pipelines, their security is an issue for us today, the Association needs to focus on that, and we can ensure greater efficiency. We count on you in that regard because about 70 per cent of pipelines in the country belongs to NNPC”, the GMD stated.
Speaking earlier, the Chairman of PLAN, Mr Geoff Onuoha, assured the GMD of their support while expressing their readiness to work with him to actualize his vision for the industry. “You want this industry to work well, you have made it clear that you want the refineries to work. Pipelines are the critical arteries to the refineries, we want to let you know that we are willing to work with you”, Mr. Onuoha declared.
On his part, the director-general and chief executive officer, Infrastructure Concession and Regulatory Commission, Engr. Chidi Izuwa, said there was need to infuse private capital in pipeline infrastructure, adding that his commission was ready to collaborate with NNPC to drive investment in the pipeline sub-sector using the public-private partnership (PPP) and concessions models.
“We are going to work closely as PLAN, as ICRC, with NNPC to achieve this very objective which is in tandem with the objective of this administration”, Engr. Izuwa stated.
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