Planned 4000 km  Gas Pipeline To Boost GAs Supply

Nigeria’s President, Mohammadu Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has stressed the need for long term partnership between Nigeria and the UK as well as the European Union on green energy policy.

The president said the UK and EU countries should invest in the planned 4000 km pipeline meant to bring Nigerian gas – the largest reserves in Africa – via Morocco, then onto Europe.

He expressed the hope that the gas pipeline project, when completed would help to address gas supply crisis in Europe.

He said: ”We need long term partnership not inconsistency and contradiction on green energy policy from the UK and European Union. Investment is hampered by their broad-brush moratorium on overseas gas projects, while at home the same projects are classified as green. It does not help their energy security, it does not help Nigeria’s economy, and it does not help the environment. It is a hypocrisy that must end.

”To change, the UK and EU countries should invest in our planned 4000 km pipeline to bring Nigerian gas – the largest reserves in Africa – via Morocco, then onto Europe.”

He further explained that the gas pipeline project, connecting Nigeria to Europe which was conceived four years ago, had since been unveiled.

”Last week (June 2) – in record time – the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) entered into an agreement with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for its construction.  Concurrently on July 1, the NNPC will become a Limited Liability Company and be subject to more robust auditing and commercial disclosure obligations”.

”It will help stimulate investment and boost transparency, where corruption has deterred the former and stymied the latter. My administration is the first to pass this landmark reform in our oil and gas sector, after two decades of predecessors’ failure to do so – no doubt due to vested interests,” he said.

Buhari noted that criminality and terrorism in Nigeria’s oil-producing regions has continued to hamper oil production. He therefore called on the Western allies to sanction all terrorist groups operating in the Niger Delta region and other oil producing states in the South-East and South South zones.

The president revealed that the country had invested in the security forces, including the one billion dollars military deal with the U.S. for the acquisition of A-29 Super Tucano aircraft.

”These efforts are making an impact: wells that had to be closed due to criminality have now re-opened. With these efforts, OPEC has raised our quota for next month,” Buhari said.