Ghana’s minister of energy, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, has stated that Nigeria remains the leading African country in energy products and distribution, News About Nigeria reports.
He stated this at the ongoing Nigeria International Energy Summit in Abuja, and said with its huge population and trading skills, Nigeria was well-positioned to champion inter-African trade.
Prempeh noted that Africa is home to some of the largest gas reserves. Nigeria has about 280 trillion cubic feet of gas.
According to him, the whole of West Africa is hungry for energy, and Nigeria stands at the threshold of supplying that to the West African pipeline.
He commended the Niger-Morocco pipeline project, stating that the execution of the Niger-Morocco pipeline will also stimulate the tax payment of gas and expand the gas market on the continent, especially in countries along the pipeline and within Nigeria itself.
“Africa is home to some of the largest gas reserves. Nigeria has about 280 trillion cubic feet of gas. Others also have significant reserves. Mozambique, Angola, Senegal, and Cameroon.
“But we in Ghana are also operating our exploration and developing for more production of oil and gas in a sustainable way. In the next decade, we can expect to see continued investment in natural gas infrastructure such as pipelines, liquefied natural gas terminals, power plants, and petrochemical establishments on the continent, which presents a unique opportunity for Africa to take charge of its own destiny. We in Africa should be happy about Nigeria’s decade of gas,” he stated.
He therefore urged Nigeria to take up its leadership role in promoting trade among African countries.
