Ed Ubong, the Managing Director of Shell Nigeria Gas and the President of the Nigerian Gas Association has made the call for urgent strategies to improve Nigeria’s capacity in the gas sub-sector. Ubong argues that the action would make sure that gas is used to boost industrial development in every part of the country.
Speaking at the recently concluded Practical Nigeria Content Forum which was held in Yenagoa, Bayelsa state, Ubong said that the country needs to start the process of retooling experienced professionals in the oil sector to work in the ever-growing gas sub-sector.
He also said that it would provide foundational training for young oil professionals and graduates of engineering, while also providing active support to indigenous companies in order to build a capacity that will help them to deliver “world class services in the gas value chain.”
Ubong also noted that the country’s economic growth potential as well as self-sufficiency lay in the gas sector which he stated was more than enough to meet the local demand and export. He said that he envisioned the country taking proper advantage of the resource to move into an era of prosperity in the next decade, which he dubbed the decade of gas.
He touted Shell’s Nigerian content policy as a model which was worthy of emulation by other key players in the industry. He said that the company’s Nigerian content initiatives precede the local content legislation, and the company has continued to increase in-country value addition in human capital development.
According to Ubong, the company has also provided support to vendors, contractors, suppliers and service companies to position them for both the local and international market. He then added that in the last three years, Shell Nigeria Gas (SNG) has awarded every single contract to an indigenous company.
SNG is owned wholly by Shell and is the single gas distribution company that is owned by a ‘supermajor’ in Nigeria.
