Federal Govt plans Africa’s largest gas industrial park in Delta State

The Federal Government is planning Africa’s first multi-million dollar gas park, which would be the largest in the continent, Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, said on Monday.

The minister, who disclosed this at the start of a three-day national conference/exhibition on gas resources, organised by the Senate Committee on Gas, added that the park would be located in Delta State.

She said the decision to locate the park in Delta was aimed at enhancing the comprehensive strategy on gas processing.

Diezani, who was represented by the Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), also said the proposed park would comprise industries, including petrochemicals factories and fertiliser processing plants, among others.

Senate President, David Mark, who was represented by Senator Abu Ibrahim at the event, said Nigeria needed to evolve fresh strategies to generate wealth and create employment.

He said the National Assembly would expedite action on the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) which, according to him, would enhance the much desired gas revolution in the country.

He, however, asked policy makers to always consider the interest of the host communities in designing gas exploration frameworks.

Chairman, Senate Committee on Gas, Senator Nkech Nwogu, said it was lamentable that while Nigeria occupied the top bracket in the gas production chart globally, it also occupied the lowest rung in the gas utilisation chart.