By Solomon Asowata
Mr Simbi Wabote, Executive Secretary, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has lauded the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva on the conferment of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) on him.
Wabote gave the commendation in a statement on Tuesday following the conferment of the honour on the minister by President Muhammadu Buhari.
He noted that Sylva, who was appointed in 2019, was fully deserving of the national honour, having worked tirelessly to change the Nigerian oil and gas landscape.
According to him, the minister has recorded several accomplishments, which had improved the economy of the nation.
He listed some of the achievements to include working with the National Assembly for the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB).
Wabote said the bill was signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari on Aug. 16, 2021, to become the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021.
He said it also included the initiation and launching of the Decade of Gas Initiative in 2020 and the National Gas Expansion Programme (NGEP), aimed at improving domestic LPG consumption and deepening the use of alternative fuels such as CNG for vehicular use.
He added that the NGEP promoted the use of cleaner and cheaper fuels and ensured that the impact of subsidy removal from Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) was minimal.
“Other achievements of the minister included improving the harmonised data reporting to Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
“Provision of comprehensive technical support for Nigeria’s representation at OPEC and ensuring that the Federal Government took the Final Investment Decision (FID) that led to the development of the 7 billion dollars NLNG Train 7 project.
“It Championed Africa’s position for a multi-dimensional approach to energy transition using gas as a transition fuel,” Wabote said.
He said Sylva also championed the removal of fuel subsidy so that the proceeds could be channeled towards national development and the rehabilitation of the three refineries in Nigeria: Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna.
Wabote listed other accomplishments of the minister to include pushing for the resuscitation of the Brass LNG project abandoned over 17 years ago by sourcing for new investors and launching the Nigerian Gas Transportation Network Code (NGTNC) programme.
He added that the minister conceived the Nigerian Gas Flare Commercialisation Programme (NGFCP) to support Nigeria’s effort to achieve zero routine flaring by taking gas at flare and auctioning same to third parties for commercialisation.
He also credited the minister with actively working with NCDMB to ensure the establishment of modular refineries and oil and gas industrial parks in the Niger Delta.
The executive secretary said Sylva also worked with NCDMB to establish LPG distribution centres in 10 Northern states of the country, as part of the Nigeria Gas Expansion programme. (NAN)
