Governor Ifeanyi Okowa
of Delta State says his administration is ready to partner South African companies and other investors to harness more than 25 trillion cubic feet of natural gas deposit in the state.
Okowa spoke when the South African High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Lulu Mnguni, led the management team of LNG Technology on a courtesy visit to him in Asaba recently.
He said his administration was committed to diversifying the state’s economy in line with its prosperity agenda.
He said available data showed that natural gas existed in the three senatorial districts of the state and that efforts would be intensified to reduce gas flaring with its attendant health and environment hazards.
“Delta State is a gas rich state with proven reserve of 25 trillion cubic feet and private sector partnership will be beneficial to all of us as gas is a cleaner and cheaper form of energy.
“We will link up with the Minister of State for Petroleum on this and work out a beneficial public private partnership.
“It is unfortunate that we still flare associated gas in the country; Delta has high amount of natural gas deposits in the three senatorial districts.
“I believe that partnership in that area will be a win-win situation because our natural gas is yet untapped and this may be a way out of the global energy challenge,” Okowa said.
He said it was a commendable development that many South African companies had shown commitment toward investing in the agriculture, health and now the energy sectors in Delta.
Okowa thanked Mnguni for encouraging South African investors to invest in the state and assured the group of the state government’s support in its activities.
“We will cooperate with you and provide an enabling environment for these investments to thrive,” the governor said.
Earlier, Mnguni said that the team was in the state to explore ways to help diversify its economy and seek for useful partnership that would be beneficial to both Nigeria and South Africa.
Also the Chief Executive Officer, LNG Technology, Mr Zazi Diadia, said the company would explore ways of utilising the huge gas deposits in Delta for energy generation and power transportation.
He said that an export terminal would be built to transport some of the gas to generate revenue for the country.
On his part, the Executive Assistant to Okowa on Investment, Mr Paul Nma, said that the investment was aimed at creating jobs for the youth.
“It is good that our governor has opened the door for investors and we believe that it will ensure speedy development of our state,” he said.