By Franklin Ocheneyi
” With natural gas, we are driving industrialisation, providing employments and improving the internally generated revenues (IGR) in the states where we operates.”
The Managing Director of Shell Nigeria Gas (SNG), Mr. Ralph Gbodo, stated this during Nigeria’s largest manufacturing, Equipment and Raw Materials event hosted by Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) and Raw Materials Research and Development Council ( RMRDC) 21-23 November, 2023, in Lagos.
Mr.Gbodo, whose company was the platinum sponsor of the event, told the exhibitors and visitors to the expo that Shell Nigeria Gas, has been bridging the energy gap and contributing to the decades of gas infrastructure ambitions by providing industrial customers – MAN member companies, and individuals with
reliable low -cost clean energy that is alternative to liquid fuel.
” We have built a distribution network of approximately 150km and currently supplying 130 industrial and commercial customers in Ogun , Abia, Oyo , Rivers, Bayelsa and Lagos States,” he said.
” For example, in Ogun Guanghou free trade zone, where we have supplied gas to 100 industrial customers, and we can immediately sees the effects of the creation of an enabling environment for manufacturing to thrives.
This is the only free trade zone with full natural gas in the country and now boast of glass, pharmaceuticals, ceramics, steel and plastic manufacturing.
” Right now, Ogun State is ranked as the third in survey of IGRs after Lagos, and Rivers State. So we can only imagine the multiplier effects of our GDP , if we can replicate it in other parts of the country.
Tour of the Shell Nigeria Gas pavilion during the opening ceremony of the event by MAN President (right to left), Otunba Francis Meshioye, Olumuyiwa Ajayi Ade, Deputy Director, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment; Ralph Gbodo, MD of Shell Nigeria Gas; Engr. Mansur Ahmed, interim Chairman of PAMA; Segun Ajayi-Kadir, Director-General MAN.
“In Abia State, Shell Gas completed the 20km gas pipeline expansion project which connects three industrial zones in the State- the Obo Hill, Ososioma and Ariara industrial zone.
The projects have enabled the supply of pipeline gas to independent power plants (IPPs) consortium that supplies power to the Ariara market – the largest leather market in West Africa with over 37,000 shops and one million traders.
In Oyo State, we recently signed a memorandum of understanding with the government for the acceleration of domestic gas infrastructure in the state.
This is to enable the supply of cleaner and more reliable energy in the state.
This partnership is to further improve domestic gas utilisation in Nigeria and to enable local industries to increase and create employments opportunities for Nigerians.
In Bayelsa State, we have an agreement with the Nigeria Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) to provide gas infrastructure to an industrial park being championed by the Board in Polako, Bayelsa. It has an estimated employment opportunity of about 30,000.
We have actually awarded the contract for the project and we expect that by this time next year, there will be gas flow into that park,” he said.
He commended the leadership of MAN, for the critical roles that they have been playing in shaping the economic landscape of the country.
” We are witnessing a commendable uptick in the manufacturing landscape in Nigeria; the sector’s GDP is steadily rise in recent years,” he said.