Minister decries low gasoline utilisation

Minister of State Petroleum Sources (Gasoline), Ekperikpe Ekpo, has lamented the low pure gasoline utilisation amongst Nigerians, urging Seplat Vitality Producing Nigeria Limitless to speed up its pure gasoline supply efforts for home use and export.

The minister lamented Nigeria’s “paradoxical scenario” as a significant gas-endowed nation with alarmingly low pure gasoline utilisation.

In line with him, operators like SEPNU ought to accomplice with the federal government to right the pattern.

In an announcement on Wednesday, the minister’s spokesman, Louis Ibah, disclosed that Ekpo spoke throughout a gathering with SEPNU’s senior administration, led by the Managing Director, Mr Dotun Isiaka, on the NNPC Towers in Abuja.

The assembly, he mentioned, offered a chance for SEPNU’s management to temporary the minister on their progress since taking up operatorship of property from ExxonMobil in December 2024, with a deal with the gasoline elements of the divestment deal.

Ekpo counseled SEPNU’s administration for the profitable takeover and expressed optimism about their potential to expedite Gasoline Gross sales Agreements negotiations and execution.

These agreements, it was acknowledged, are essential for catalysing the gasoline business and delivering much-needed pure gasoline to the nation by precedence initiatives.

“The minister emphasised the significance of SEPNU working harmoniously with its host communities to ship worth to all stakeholders and solidify its place as a number one unbiased indigenous vitality firm.

“Moreover, Ekpo urged SEPNU to stay dedicated to its venture timelines, stressing that adherence to those timelines is essential for the profitable execution of their initiatives to ship the specified constructive outcomes to the Nation’s financial system. He famous that the corporate’s success can be instrumental in aligning with Nigeria’s purpose of leveraging its ample gasoline assets to drive financial progress and improvement,” the assertion learn.

Ekpo emphasised the federal government’s dedication to selling indigenous participation within the oil and gasoline sector, driving financial progress by sustainable vitality improvement, and fostering a conducive atmosphere for funding.

He expressed his willingness to collaborate with Seplat Vitality to beat legislative and regulatory hurdles, such that will improve the corporate’s potential to ship pure gasoline to the Nation.

Earlier, Seplat Vitality’s Managing Director, Dotun Isiaka, knowledgeable Ekpo that the corporate has engaged potential off-takers for pure gasoline from their property.

Isiaka solicited the minister’s cooperation to beat legislative and regulatory challenges, which might facilitate their operations and allow them to fulfill their targets for main gasoline initiatives.