Newly inaugurated President of the Nigeria Gas Association (NGA), Ed Ubong, has said there is abundant gas resources in Nigeria to meet the energy demand of over 350 million people and the industrial needs in the West African sub-region

“Nigeria, which ranks as the 9th largest gas reserve in the world and clearly the largest in West Africa, therefore needs to develop this resource base and connect the existing local supply and demand with physical and virtual pipeline infrastructure, while also exploring closer integration of roads, seaports and rail infrastructure,” Ubong said at the just concluded NGA’s 12th International Conference and Industry Awards in Lagos last week.

Ubong who is also the Managing Director, Shell Nigeria Gas Limited, however advocated an improved investment climate for the gas sector to further develop infrastructure along the gas value chain and enable the expansion of the gas networks to cover the West Africa countries.

Speaking on his vision for NGA, Ubong said the association would continue to promote the utilisation of natural gas as the preferred energy source in Nigeria for the benefit of the nation and the various stakeholders in the Nigerian gas value chain. These include upstream gas producers, transporters, gas-based industries, power generation and distribution companies, virtual pipeline operators, LPG market players, industrial and manufacturing customers and the energy professionals who provide critical support for the sector

“The regulatory framework is a key determinant of success of the gas industry. So, the NGA will continue to work with government and regulators to ensure the right laws are in place to create an enabling environment for the sector to thrive over the next decade. Time is of the essence as the Energy transition is on”, he said.

He described the 2020 council of the NGA as the first council in Nigeria’s decade of gas, and pledged the commitment of NGA under his leadership to work closely with all stakeholders to accelerate gas development and domestic gas utilisation over the next 10 years, in line with the gas ambition of the Federal Government.

Ubong restated that Shell’s investments in the Assa North Gas Project; four unitized gas fields; Brass Fertilizer Company; and the cluster development of Okpokunou/Tuomo West gas project, multiple NLNG trains, were aimed at supporting government’s drive for national development and energy sufficiency.

Incorporated in 1998, Shell Nigeria Gas (SNG) is a fully owned Shell company for the downstream distribution of gas to over 120 industries and manufacturing plants in Nigeria. The company’s over 150-kilometre gas transmission and distribution network serves several distribution systems, including Agbara-Ota industrial cluster in Ogun State, the Aba Cluster in Abia State, and the Port Harcourt Cluster in Rivers State.