By Adaobi Rhema Oguejiofor
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has encouraged all its stakeholders around the nation to move from the usage of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), also referred to as diesel, to the use of gas because it has low maintenance, is cost effective, and gives a pollution-free atmosphere.
The North-Eastern Regional Coordinator of NMDPRA, Engr. Yusuf Shehu, made this call, while speaking on behalf of the Authority Chief Executive (ACE), Farouk Ahmad, at a meeting tagged “Stakeholder Engagement on Gas Utilization in Nigeria,” which was organized by the Authority in Yola, Adamawa State on Tuesday.
The Regional Coordinator said that the meeting seeks to encourage large consumers of petroleum products to not only operate within the regulatory space but also become aware of the comparative advantages between the different fuels, especially gas, which has been designated as Nigeria’s transition fuel.
Shehu explained that the stakeholder meeting was geared towards enlightening petroleum-product end users on the need to obtain storage licenses.
In his own words, “we want to draw the attention of our stakeholders to the importance of having a license and shifting or adding to what they have, if they have been using diesel to generate power and to also add gas, be it Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) or Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) as a source of fuel for automobiles.”
The Chairman of Medical Advisory Committee from the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Professor Sanusi Muhammed Ibrahim, while speaking at the meeting, said that the workshop has given sufficient information regarding the benefits gas has over diesel. He added that most people heavily depend on diesel for electricity in many establishments and the shift to gas is a transition process that will enable many to key into the regulations.