Affordable, accessible gas key to industrial competitiveness – Adebayo

Sustainable access to gas is significant in Nigeria’s quest to make the manufacturing sector a key driver in job creation for the teeming youths.

Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment made this known on Monday in Abuja.

Adebayo stated this at the pre-summit virtual conference of the Nigeria International Petroleum Summit on Decade of Gas Mandate.

A statement by Ifedayo Sayo, Special Assistant to the minister on media, said Adebayo stressed the need to harness the potential that gas presented for Nigeria’s industrialisation.

The Minister who was represented by his Technical Adviser, Kamal Bakrin, said gas could become a source of competitive advantage for Nigeria’s manufacturing sector.

“We believe that gas can become a source of competitive advantage for Nigeria’s manufacturing sector and a strong lever for its positioning as the preferred manufacturing hub in Africa.

“This is especially important as we implement measures that can leapfrog us to the front of the line as the destination for manufacturing for the rest of Africa,” he said.

The minister said the manufacturing sector could be a source of foreign exchange for the country and the channel for long-term economic security.

According to him, an affordable source of gas is one of the enablers for realising this vision.

“We have been in deliberations with the Ministry of Petroleum Resources on how to improve the availability and cost of gas for the manufacturing sector.

“And I trust, this is one of the issues this conference will discuss and hopefully address,” he said.