An interministerial group has been established by the federal government to make recommendations on how to provide the nation’s gas producing plants with a sustainable gas supply. Following a meeting between the two ministries, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, the Minister of Power, and Mr. Ekperikpe Ekpo, the Minister of State Petroleum Resources (Gas), formed the interministerial committee in Abuja.
The committee will tackle the issues of poor gas supply to Thermal Power Plant Stations across the country, according to a statement released by Ekpo on Thursday and signed by Mr. Chris Ugwuegbulam, Assistant Director, Press and Public Relations, of the ministry.
“The committee will suggest means of achieving a steady gas supply to meet domestic and industrial needs of Nigerians in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu’s administration,” he said.
He listed the challenges causing low supply of gas to the Thermal Power Plants to include Decade of Gas legacy debts, vandalisation of gas resources infrastructure in the Niger Delta Region and domestic pricing of gas in dollars.
He expressed willingness to work harmoniously with any individual, organisation and agency to solve these challenges. Adelabu stated the need for the two ministries to work collaboratively to solve the problem of low gas supply to the Thermal Power Plants.
This, Adelabu said, would achieve an uninterrupted power supply in the country, adding that nothing could be done in Nigeria without stable power. Members of the committee were drawn from the Ministries of Petroleum Resources and Power, Regulatory Agencies, Operators and Critical Stakeholders in the Gas and Power Sectors.
The meeting was witnessed by some directors in the Ministries of Petroleum Resources and Power.
