Gas Policy: Expert Wants Commercial Incentives For Rural Consumers

An expert in the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), and the Vice Chairman of the Nigeria Association of LPG Marketers (NALGAM) in Rivers State, Chief Ogbonnna Sam Okoro, has urged the Federal Government to give commercial incentives to rural consumers of the products.
The expert gave the urge while speaking with The Tide in an exclusive interview in his office in Port Harcourt, last Tuesday.
He said without adequate motivation and mobilisation of the rural dwellers through the provision of commercial incentives, the objectives of deepening LPG penetration and utilisation would not achieve the desired result.
He said the income in the hands of Nigerians was so depleted and dismal for them to access the products, and urged the DPR to provide initial investment capital to the target users to key actively into the use of  LPG  as a cheaper, cleaner and more efficient energy source.
Okoro, who is the Managing Director of Gaserve LPG and Logistic Services, lauded the DPR for organising interactive sessions for stakeholders on safety operations in the LPG sector, but emphasised the need for a more drastic and proactive measures to be taken to make the products more accessible to Nigerians.
He said, “DPR should provide initial investment capital to the target users to enable them play active role in the LPG sector. Women should be encouraged to form cooperatives while loans should be provided for them to own small surface tanks to boost economic activities in the grassroot”.
He also recommended that the DPR should engage in the commercial dispensing of LPG, by setting up gas stations like the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation mega stations in the rural areas.
The expert who was a member of the CONTEAM that constructed the Nigeria Liquefied Natural  Gas (NLNG) Plant in Bonny, also called for stronger collaboration among DPR, NLNG and other critical stakeholders in the LPG sector for technical support services and proper reach to the target users.
He called for the review of Nigeria oil and gas policies to address the endemic challenges in the sector, particularly to tackle issues of local contents, weak institutions, ecological disasters and royalties to oil bearing communities, among others.
He also expressed concern over the politicisation of issues requiring expertise, noting that the country can only be on the right track of economic development when institutions are strengthened and critical stakeholders are given the opportunities to make inputs in national planning and development.

Taneh Beemene