FG still working on gas-powered economy – Ekperikpe Ekpo
The Minister of Petroleum Resources (gas), Hon Ekperikpe Ekpo
FG still working on gas-powered economy – Ekperikpe Ekpo
* Says South-South possess the potential to be a strong force for economy.
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, has said that the Federal Government, under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu, is committed to making Nigeria a gas-powered economy, having declared a decade of gas utilisation.
Ekpo said in Uyo on Monday while giving his remarks at the South-South Gas Utilisation Forum 2025, organised by Gas Aggregator Company Nigeria, with the theme: “Utilising Gas as a Catalyst for Sustainable Growth.”
The Minister who highlighted the benefits of a gas-powered economy called on participants to see the workshop as a turning point, where ideas are not just discussed, but implemented.
He said, ”Let us remember that this is not just a South-South agenda, it is a national imperative. The Federal Government, under the visionary leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has declared the Decade of Gas and is committed to making Nigeria a gas-powered economy.
”The task before us is clear. The opportunities are vast. The tools are in our hands. Let this workshop be a turning point, where ideas are not just discussed, but implemented; where partnerships are not just promised but forged; and where we commit, collectively, to utilising gas as a true catalyst for sustainable growth in the South-South Region and Nigeria, as a whole.
”Let us move boldly from gas potential to gas prosperity: To move from gas potential to industrial hubs and innovation centres; To turn gas revenue into tangible impact for our communities; And to ensure that the people of the South-South region, especially our host communities, are not left behind, but carried along every step of the way, in line with the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (2021).”
The Minister, who noted that the South-South region remains the powerhouse of Nigeria’s natural gas production, providing the resource that fuels industries, powers homes, and earns us foreign exchange, however, lamented that the region is yearning for the full benefit of the resource it produces.
According to him, “The South-South region remains the powerhouse of Nigeria’s natural gas production, providing the resource that fuels our industries, powers our homes, and earns us foreign exchange.
”Yet, paradoxically, it is a region that still yearns for the full benefits of the resource it produces. This workshop is, therefore, not just another meeting; it is a call to action.”
He urged participants to use the platform to forge practical solutions that will move the region from being a region of resource extraction to one of value addition, innovation, and inclusive growth.
In his remarks, the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Umo Eno, who was represented by the Deputy Governor, Senator Akon Ayakenyi, acknowledged that the submit has not only deepened government’s understanding of the immense opportunities in the gas development across the South South region but has reinforced it shared commitment to collaborate actions, sound policy alignment and sustainable resource management.
Eno said the state government remains resolute in its belief that the gas sector, if properly harnessed, can serve as a “catalyst for industrialisation, environmental innovations and inclusive prosperity for our people.”
In his welcome remarks, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Gas Aggregator Company Nigeria, Chijioke Uzoho, expressed commitment to partner with all stakeholders to ‘unlock the potential of gas commercialisation in the South-South region.”
He said the South-South region has the potential to be the driving force of Nigeria’s economic transformation, adding that real progress will come from effective partnership between the public and private sector actors and between the federal government and sub-national.
Uzoho restated the resolve of Gas Aggregator Company Nigeria to ‘partner with all stakeholders to unlock the gas commercialisation in the region.”
