KYARI CLAIMS THAT THE REMOVAL OF FUEL SUBSIDIES WILL REVIVE INVESTMENT IN NIGERIA'S OIL INDUSTRY

The removal of fuel subsidies and the unification of the various segments of the foreign exchange market by President Bola Tinubu's administration, according to Group Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd. Mallam Mele Kyari, will encourage new investment in Nigeria's oil and gas industry.

At the high-level roundtable on ending poverty hosted by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries on Thursday, Kyari made this statement.

The roundtable was held concurrently with the 8th OPEC International Seminar in Vienna, Austria.

Discussions focused on what has to be done to promote economic development by closing the wealth gap, particularly in emerging nations of Africa. Nigeria spends roughly N400 billion per month and N4.8 trillion year on fuel subsidies. At his inauguration on May 29, President Bola Tinubu declared that the Federal Government will no longer provide subsidies for Premium Motor Spirit.

Kyari characterized the removal as a good step since it would bring in new investments for the oil and gas industry.

“In our nation, the government has made the right decision by removing subsidies from the petroleum industry,” he declared. having standardized foreign exchange, as well. That encourages investment in our country's energy industry and other industries. We also have more resources, and as you are probably aware, Nigeria will have the third-largest population in the world in 20 years with a population of over 300 million.

We know that as an energy company, we are an enabler industry for the purpose of growth in our country because it means that the country is the one with the fastest-growing economy in its sub-region.

This means that in order to maintain stability in our nation, we must constantly assess our capacity and make sure that there is a current need for petroleum resources of all kinds in the short term and possibly in the medium term. And this is now taking place so that we can serve the region of West Africa.

In light of the energy poverty afflicting the continent, he also argued for more access to cleaner energy for Africans.

The National Oil Company, according to Kyari, will use the quality of its resources, geographic advantage, and years of industry knowledge to help the United States transition from an energy deficit to an energy surplus and to promote the worldwide movement toward sustainable energy.

There was a widespread belief that National Oil Companies, which account for around 50% of global oil and gas production, were not participating in the effort to decarbonize the world's energy mix. In order to fulfill its commitment to eliminate energy poverty and ultimately achieving the 2060 net-zero target, Kyari claimed that the NNPC is leading the charge for sustainable energy supply in both the domestic and global markets.

He presented the reality of NNPC Limited's supply of the domestic market, production and export of hydrocarbons, and future outlook.

He pointed out that NNPC Limited is consciously focusing on gas while taking a quick look at its portfolio. “We are the biggest energy company in Africa with a global ambition, and of course, we are also involved in the ongoing effort, but aside from global decarbonization, we alliance in such a way that we recognize the impact of our business on climate and climate change and also focus on this platform to objectively see how the issues affecting climate change can be addressed,” he said.

Avoiding climate catastrophes is the main topic of our debate regarding energy conservation. Additionally, we are aware of the role that our industry plays in climate change. There is a small calculation difference between energy poverty and poverty when you have it.

The majority of developing nations now have quite easy access to renewable energy. Seventy percent of the population in Nigeria lacks access to clean energy.Therefore, there is no question that it must be arrested. But how do we begin？ People must first have access to renewable energy as soon as possible.

He added that by using gas for electrification, chemicals, local industries, and exports, the NNPC Limited will use it as a transitional and final fuel.

As it observes changes in supply partnerships, Kyari continued, the NNPC Limited thinks that providing clean, affordable, and reliable energy is the best way to end domestic energy poverty and increase market share globally. He said that as a for-profit company, NNPC Ltd sees the Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline project as a chance to capitalize on Nigeria's abundant hydrocarbon resources by enhancing access to energy and fostering industrialization, economic growth, and job creation not just in Nigeria but also elsewhere in Africa.

“We are looking at two angles,” he continued, first from an economic standpoint, and second from a very significant national goal to electrify our firm. By constructing transmission infrastructure and locating gas-fired power plants all around the nation, we can expand and help with access to electricity.

NNPC is currently forming bonds with a significant fraction of all the country's energy partners. In Kano, Lagos State, and Abuja, we are constructing new powers. In the end, we will be able to obtain power, but only if there are infrastructures in place to do so.

We are operating significant trunk life capacity across the nation, with the possibility of expanding this capacity via a number of nations and into Europe.

There are two steps we are taking to accomplish this: first, we are extending our current line, which crosses most of our nation through Niger, Algeria, and then Europe; second, we are working with other national oil companies on a pipeline project that will run from Nigeria through 11 West African nations, Morocco, and then Europe.

“This involves coordinating and aligning the infrastructure so that other African nations can access the enormous gas that is available in our country.”