By Teddy Nwanunobi
The Federal Government’s declaration of the ‘Decade of Gas’ may have already begun to yield fruits, as OMAA, an indigenous energy firm at Igbo Ukwu, Anambra State, has made history when it rolled out Nigeria’s first locally assembled natural gas-powered buses, and is already producing in volumes.
OMAA manufactures factory-fitted dual-fuel vehicles to meet the growing demand of vehicles that run on cleaner energy sources within Nigeria and across Africa.
The roll out took place at its facility near Nnewi, in the presence of Dr. Ishaku Abner, Technical Assistant (Downstream) to the Hon. Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Pat Igwebuike, Special Adviser to the Anambra State Governor on Legal Matters, and Dr. Mohammed M. Ibrahim, Chairman of the National Gas Expansion Programme (NGEP).
The company showcased its facility, and demonstrated its ability to cater to energy demands for the transportation and energy industry with natural gas.
Valuechain reports that the ‘Decade of Gas’ is the Federal Government’s commitment to diversify the nation’s economy, and see Nigeria develop and commercialise its gas resources.
According to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), domestic demand for natural gas will rise from current levels of 1.5 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf) to 7.4 Bcf by 2027.
Speaking at the unveiling ceremony, Founder and CEO of OMAA, Mr. Chinedu Oguegbu, declared that Nigeria was about to witness a revolution.
“This is the beginning of a trend that will revolutionise, not just the transportation , but the energy industry in Nigeria, by accelerating utilisation of the abundant natural gas resources we are endowed with,” Oguegbu said.
He noted that the buses are rugged and more durable, because they are adapted to Nigerian roads.
He added that the company was also expanding its network nationwide to ensure quality aftersales and availability of spare parts.
Also speaking, Ibrahim noted that OMAA was on track to make tremendous impact.
“OMAA has been a robust partner of the National Gas Expansion Program and there is no doubt that the company is on track to make a tremendous impact in the energy and transportation industries,” Ibrahim said.
In her remarks, Mrs. Igwebuike expressed optimism that OMAA would be a household name.
“It is delightful to see such innovative developments take place in Anambra State. With this technology, I believe that OMAA will eventually become a staple brand in the industry,” she said.
Oguegbu stated that he was taking advantage of the African Union’s latest charter on free trade.
“With AfCFTA already in force we hope to expand our service beyond Nigerian borders, exploring opportunities in Africa’s 54 countries and 1.2 billion population.
“Whatever the need for our development and industrialisation as a people today, we should be sustainable in our approach and think of the livelihood of future generations.
“Whether we like it or not, climate change is real and the use of gas as a transition fuel reduces the damage done by biomass, not just to the environment but to human health,” he noted.
It would be recalled that the World Health Organisation (WHO) recently released a report that showed that 3.8 million people die yearly from illnesses that are attributed to household pollution, arising from the inefficient use of solid fuels and kerosene for cooking.
Oguegbu further added that OMAA was also committed to job creation, saying that in due course, it would have a phased migration in its operations when it transits from semi-knocked down (SKD) to completely knocked down (CKD) operations.
“That way, we will be localising more components, up-skilling staff and contributing to the burgeoning automotive ecosystem.
“By switching to CKD, we will end up creating more jobs for the teeming youth population in the country. It is a part of our overall policy where we commit to training and retraining our people. Sourcing components in-country also has a positive impact on the local supply chain as capacity utilisation, jobs, value addition all move in the right direction,” he added.
The company plans to introduce, within the next year, a wider portfolio of solutions to address the energy demand in the residential, commercial and industrial markets, using natural gas.