Oil firms responsible for replacing failed pipelines on FG’s oversight—NCDMB
The General Manager, Corporate Communication and Zonal Co-ordinator, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Dr. Ginah Ginah has stressed that issue of failed or vandalized oil and gas pipelines in Nigeria.
He said “Ethically, it is not even the government that is to replace them. It is the oil companies because they are the ones using the pipelines. The pipelines are damaged not by militants but because many of them have been established many decades back, so they have expired”.
“So in essence, the International Oil Companies (IOCs) are responsible as part of their protection of the environment to replace pipelines that are expired or integrity has failed. But of course, government has the oversight to make sure that they don’t allow these things to continue otherwise there will be negative impact on the environment.
On chances of engagement with the government regarding local production of steel in the country, given the huge capital flight currently out flowing, Dr Ginah averred that “Our country does not have an efficient steel industry and everything in oil and gas industry requires steel. Nigeria is losing a huge foreign exchange to importation of steel”.
“Steel used in the industry is imported so government has to do something to revive the steel industry. Most of our work is done through collaboration, so we have been talking to all the other sectors because our vision is to actually be the catalyst for the salvation of Nigeria through the oil and gas industry.
“In the case of NIMASA, we are already engaged so we know the areas we are working on. While we are still talking on the steel aspect of it, we already have initiative we have put in place. For example, we don’t have locally manufactured gas cylinders in Nigeria. One or two outfits used to be there but those outfits have packed up due to wrong government policies in the past.
“Now, as we speak, we have already pledged support for new factories that are going to manufacture LPG cylinders and also revive old ones. Another benefit from this is that the federal government wants to move away from firewood because of the health hazards and deforestation problem to consuming more of the LPG. That means we will need more gas cylinders. It is not a victory song yet, but we are working on it.
