As part of efforts to ambitiously transform the country into the industrial hub of Africa, the Federal Government said it has spent about $1billion on gas infrastructure for projects that will impact positively on the power and industrial sectors of the economy.

The Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke, disclosed this during the Ministerial Platform to commemorate the one year in office of President Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja.

Alison-Madueke noted that the present administration in the spirit of the transformation agenda has embarked on the most aggressive expansion of the domestic gas infrastructure in 30 years creating a platform to transport over two billion cubic feet of gas per day within the next 24 months.

According to her, 136km x 36inch permanent gas pipeline from Oben to Geregu has been completed, creating a major sharp artery for the Geregu Independent Power Plant, Dangote’s Obajana cement and other potential industrial customers. She added that this line will provide arterial supply to the North once the Ajaokuta-Kano line is completed.

She also said that two other critical pipelines will be concluded shortly – the Itoki-Olorunshogo 31km x 24inch gas pipeline and 104km x 24inch Escravos-Warri gas pipeline expansion.

The minister noted that by the time the two pipelines were completed in few months time, a permanent solution to the challenge of gas supply to the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, and the National Integrated Power Projects, NIPP plants at Olorunshogo as well as supply to Ewekoro, Abeokuta and environs. This will result in industrial capacity growth and double the existing transmission capacity to 600mmcf/d and immediately add about 80mmcf/d additional gas supply to the grid from Escravos.

Alison-Madueke disclosed that three other major gas pipeline projects are ongoing and progressing steadily.