Minister of State Petroleum Resources (Gas), Mr. Ekperikpe Ekpo, has urged contractors handling the

Obrikom, Obiafo and Oben (OB3) gas pipeline project to ensure its completion by December this year.

He stated this on Thursday during a tour of the 48 × 1.8km gas pipeline project designed to run across the River Niger conveying gas from the South-South and South-East to the South West and the Ajaokuta, Kano and Kaduna (AKK.) Project, among others.

Ekpo was accompanied on the tour by the Minister of State  Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, Group CEO of the NNPL, Mr. Mele Kyari, and other top officials of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, NNPCL and regulatory agencies.

The minister told officials of Enikkom and HDD Thailand, who are the joint venture contractors handling the project, that meeting the December 2023 deadline would greatly assist the Federal Government’s aspiration of making gas available to all nooks and crannies of the country as well as addressing some of the challenges associated with the removal of fuel subsidy.

He said: “Nigerians are waiting for this project. Mr. President (His Excellency Bola Tinubu) is passionate about gasifying Nigeria, and this is also my mission as a minister. The withdrawal of fuel subsidy has been causing problems in the country, but if we get this project right the pressure will come down.

” When that is done it will go a long way in easing doing business in Nigeria and forex will come into the country. So I implore you all to be

intentional, committed and passionate about this project completion deadline.”

Lokpobiri commended the contractors and those involved in the project. He described the project as a game changer saying its inauguration will boost the quest to provide enough gas for domestic use.

Kyari who spoke earlier had assured that the project would be completed by the end of the year as most of the initial challenges had been identified and surmounted by the contractors.