In line with its aspiration of building the largest gas infrastructure in Nigeria, Oando Gas and Power has commissioned its 128 kilometres South'South gas pipeline project in Calabar, Cross Rivers State.The project which started in 2008 was executed by its subsidiary, East Horizon Gas Company Limited (EHGC), and was connected to the existing Obigbo to ALSCON line at Ukanafun Local Government of Akwa Ibom State, which would run about 128 kilometres through Akwa Ibom State and Cross River State.The Minister of Petroleum, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, during the official commissioning of the project in Calabar, said that this was another major milestone project plan to fast-track Nigeria's industrial rebirth through gas, championed by Oando, an indigenous company.Alison-Madueke said that the newly commissioned gas project in South- South would go a long way in enhancing the socio-economic development of the states and the communities, adding that such project would be extended to other state.She said: 'This is a project that was initiated and built by indigenous from the beginning to completion level. This is part of the good intention of the present administration under President Goodluck Jonathan through the gas revolution agenda that would position Nigeria as the undisputed regional hub for gas-based industries.'The Petroleum Minister stated that gas revolution, which many described as an ambitious plan, would spread industrialisation, create wealth rapidly and generate up to 700,000 new jobs in both gas plants and agricultural industries that will spring from the initiative.She stressed that Nigeria through the agenda would move its gas production figure, which increased from 'one billion cubic feet per day (cfpd) to over 10 billion cfpd by 2020 and is in strict realisation with the 2020 economic development agenda.'Alison-Madueke noted that to realise the goal would require radical review of how the nationwide gas potential is harnessed.She added: 'Globally, the petrochemical value chain is known as a major creator of employment. Based on our planned investment in the 1.3 million tonne per annum capacity petrochemical plant, it is estimated that over 200,000 direct and indirect jobs will be created.'Group Chief Executive of Oando, Mr Wale Tinubu, in his welcome address, said that the project exemplified the importance of public-private sector partnership in the infrastructural rebirth of the country, adding that the synergies of both parties had resulted in the delivery of an economic enabler for businesses in the South -South.Tinubu said that the project was conceived by the Nigerian Gas Company (NGC), developed by a Nigerian firm, Oando's EHGC, executed by a Nigerian contractor, Oilserv, using indigenous sub-contractors and talents from the two states and financed by a consortium of Nigerian financial institutions.He stressed: 'It is our ideology in Oando that Nigerians are capable of delivering ingenious world-class solutions to the challenges facing us as a nation. Among us today are many proponents of the Nigerian content and I am sure they are very proud of our achievement.
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