The Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, ALGON, has pledged to collaborate with the Ministry of Petroleum Resources to accelerate grassroots development and capacity building in the country.
ALGON made the promise during the inauguration of its Deputy National President, Moses Nomeh as the Chairman of the National Gas Expansion Programme, NGEP, in Abuja.
While conveying the regards of President Bola Tinubu and the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Heineken Lokpobiri, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Nicolas Agbo, emphasised the significance of the initiative in achieving the Renewed Hope Agenda.
Agbo noted that in collaboration with ALGON and other stakeholders, Nigerians are poised to benefit from the Gas Expansion Programme through autogas conversion technology, human capital development, gas infrastructure, and other derivatives.
He highlighted the establishment of a working group and the inauguration of the National Gas Expansion Programme as a positive development, setting the tone for future successes.
“It has become necessary to engage with Local Government Areas to support the boosting of a one-megawatt power initiative across the 774 LGAs. We acknowledge the need to address the power gap cost-effectively and efficiently.
“This collaborative aspect of the initiative, involving ALGON and experienced stakeholders to assist in moving the project forward, will yield a positive result,” he said.
Reacting, Nomeh expressed his enthusiasm for the National Gas Expansion Programme, describing it as a low-hanging fruit and cash cow for job and wealth creation, poised to rapidly exit Nigeria from its economic woes, assuring that ALGON was ready to partner with the Ministry, creating necessary working synergies to achieve shared objectives.
He thanked the Permanent Secretary for acknowledging the critical role of Local Government Areas in establishing a nexus with the Ministry to bring effective gas expansion penetration to communities.
He urged the Nigerian public to rise to the challenges, assuring that ALGON will prioritize the agenda, study it, develop needs assessments in line with the heterogeneous settings of LGAs, and build capacity through community engagement.
“The collaborative efforts of the Ministry, ALGON and other stakeholders are set to establish business incubation centres for skilled manpower needs, delivering at the local government level, with all terms of reference and timelines aimed at presenting opportunities that will impact the project,” he said.
