Republic of Trinidad & Tobago has pledged to cooperate with Nigeria in its efforts to develop the nation’s gas sector.
The country’s High Commissioner, Mrs. Victoria Mendex Charles gave the pledge in Abuja during a courtesy call on the Minister of State for Energy (Gas), Odusina Emmanuel Olatunde.
Charles observed that Nigeria and her country share similar characteristics in the oil and gas sector, adding that Trinidad & Tobago’s oil exploration and production activities began more than 100 years ago, while gas utilization is about 40 years old.
The envoy who disclosed that the exploration, utilisation and monetisation of natural gas have greatly enhanced the economic development of her country, said Trinidad & Tobago was one of the largest exporters of natural gas to Spain and Europe.
Nigeria, she said, could also benefit tremendously from her experience in gas development if deliberate efforts were made to monetise the abundant natural resource, a greater percentage of which is currently being flared into the environment.
She challenged the Energy Ministry to stimulate private sector investment in gas development in the country, promising that her country would co-operate in that direction, by providing technical assistance in the spirit of South-South technological development pact.
Responding, Odusina thanked the High Commissioner for her visit, saying Nigeria was grateful to the Envoy for her presentation on gas development.
He stated that as Nigeria’s first Minister of Gas, he was prepared to lay a solid foundation for the maximum utilisation and monetisation of natural gas in the country.
He observed that Nigeria has a huge reserve of gas resource, which could turn around her economy if properly harnessed, pointing out that the President Umar Musa Yar’ Adua’s administration was prepared to effectively utilise natural gas to address the nation’s gigantic power supply problems.
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