Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State has fulfilled his promise to the people of the state by commissioning the new Greenville LNG/CNG hub in Shabu area of Lafia, the state capital.
This milestone marks the first CNG-LNG plant in the North Central, bringing a new era of alternative energy sources to the region, in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu in the area of green energy.
In his remarks during the commissioning ceremony on Tuesday, Governor Sule expressed his gratitude to Greenville LNG for their initiative and hard work in completing the project within the specified period.
He said the event emphasized the importance of alternative energy sources in powering transportation infrastructure, industries, and households in the state, highlighting his administration’s efforts to procure hybrid CNG buses to serve the people, as well as plans to bring in more of the CNG buses in the state.
“The project is coming to life at a time when alternative sources of energy are desperately required to power our transportation infrastructure, industries and even households. Indeed, Greenville is leading the way in this transformation just like it was mentioned by the MD of the Gas Aggregation Company of Nigeria (GACN),” he said.
The Governor disclosed that his administration’s ambitious gas master plan modeled after that of Lagos, with plans to tap into the AKK gas pipeline in order to feed emerging industries in the Karu axis of the state.
“We are also working on the Nasarawa State Gas Master plan which will be very similar to what we have seen in Lagos where the West African Gas Pipeline was tapped from Shagamu and is now servicing most of Lagos industries. This is exactly our target on the AKK Line and very soon by the grace of God, it’s our dream that the same gas will service most of the industries, especially around Karu area,” he stated.
Governor Sule expressed satisfaction that the collaboration with Greenville LNG is finally yielding results, assuring that projects like the CNG-LNG station and many more are on the pipeline.
He urged Greenville LNG and other players in the CNG-LNG value chain to consider setting up more energy hubs across the state to ensure people have more access to this alternative energy source for their vehicles and industries.
The Governor announced that on the part of the state government, 50 technicians would be sponsored to Kaduna to be trained in the conversion of vehicles to CNG.
“They are leaving on Sunday the 25th and they are going to be trained and very soon they will be all over in Nasarawa State to be able to assist the people of the state to be able to convert their vehicles to CNG and LNG,” he said.
He commended the GACN for pushing for the commercialization of gas, especially in Nigeria, a country with over 220 trillion standard cubic feet of gas reserves compared to only 40bn barrels of oil, especially that only few years ago, over 70 percent of our gas which is associated gas is being flared throughout the Niger Delta.
Governor Sule explained that his vision for Nasarawa State is to see that the Ebeny-A produces sufficient gas to feed companies like Greenville LNG.
“With what is taking place at the Ebeny-A in Obi, at the end of the day that is going to be the foundation where the raw material for a project like this will be found. By the time we are lucky to have what we are looking for, an integrated oil field operation where the oil will be refined and the gas produced on one side, we will now have Greenville and companies similar to those who are going to be taking this gas directly from Obi to a facility like this. For me, that is the dream. Once I achieve that, I have achieved my lifetime dream because that is exactly where we want to go,” he added.
He used the opportunity of the event to thank all the business related MDAs namely NAGIS, NUDB, Ministry of Lands, Internal Revenue Service, Ministry of Trade, Ministry of Environment, Attorney-General and the SSG for supporting the drive of his administration and ensuring that Greenville LNG becomes a reality.
The Governor also called on local investors to invest in similar projects like the CNG-LNG.
“Investment like this is not about the money. It’s about the heart and the commitment. Greenville has shown that it has the heart, commitment and dedication to do something in Nasarawa. We the people of Nasarawa State should be able to invest in similar projects like this for the development of our people,” he said.
He further appreciated the Emir of Lafia, HRH Justice Sidi Bage Mohammed (rtd), the Sangarin Shabu, HRH Alhaji Mahmud Umar Bwallah, as well as members of the community for accepting the call and request of his administration to support the project and to see to its conclusion.
In a goodwill message, Chairman of Greenville LNG, Eddy van den Broeke, disclosed that the CNG-LNG station in Lafia when fully operational can provide 32 tons per day CNG capacity dispensing and 220 tons of LNG per day.
Represented at the event by the company’s Director, Inter-Governmental Relations, Zubairu Ibrahim Bayi, the chairman commended Governor Sule for his support and vision in facilitating the construction of the CNG-LNG hub.
He noted that the project will provide job opportunities for indigenes and other Nigerians while offering cost-effective and cleaner energy solutions.
On his part, the Managing Director & CEO of Gas Aggregation Company of Nigeria, Chijioke Uzoho, praised the collaboration between GACN, NNPCL, and Greenville in promoting gas commercialization within the state.
He highlighted the government’s commitment to providing access to gas supply for mobility use and industrialization.
Earlier in an opening remark, Managing Director/CEO, Nasarawa State Investment Development Agency, Ibrahim Abdullahi, recalled the government’s gas commercialization initiative launched in 2021, which led to the establishment of the CNG-LNG hub by Greenville.
He emphasized the role of NASIDA in promoting investment and enabling a conducive business environment in Nasarawa State.
The commissioning of the Greenville LNG/CNG hub signifies a significant step towards sustainable energy solutions and economic development in Nasarawa State.
With plans to expand the project and attract more businesses to the region, Governor Sule’s vision for industrializing the state is well on its way to realization.
