NNPC seeks PPP arrangement for pipelines

Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr Maikanti Baru, said its subsidiary companies would partner with the private sector to build more pipelines across the country. Baru said this in Abuja in a statement signed by NNPC Group General Manager Public Relations, Mr Ndu Ughamadu. Inaugurating the board of the Nigerian Pipeline Storage Company (NPSC), Baru said such partnership would enhance NPSC’s profitability.

He said: “Your work also is to look at refurbishing these pipelines and storage along a Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement by getting willing private companies to invest in these pipelines. “NNPC Management is very much disposed to supporting your efforts in this regard,” Baru said. He urged the company to double its pipeline network in the next 10 years, stressing that such a target was “absolutely necessary.

Baru described pipelines as arteries of the nation’s Oil and Gas Industry, adding that part of the reform process embarked upon by the corporation under his watch was to birth an NPSC with a clear focus. “I have a passion for this company and I believe this firm will be a leader in that segment of our operations. That is why we focused our energy on refurbishing, repairing and re-streaming of our storage facilities and pipelines over the last few months,” Baru noted. He charged NPSC to also integrate, through the pipelines resources, the various depots used as reception points for Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG). We have a lot of LPG that is being exported.

”This could be utilised domestically in line with our vision of providing alternative energy sources for domestic and industrial use nationwide,” he said. Baru tasked the NPSC management to engage the various host state governments towards the restoration of the Products Right of Way (PRoW), to ensure the safety of the citizens and products. NAN quoted Baru as saying that most of the state governments were willing to support the corporation in preventing infringements on its PRoW.

He expressed NNPC Management’s readiness to engage security agencies against any act of economic sabotage towards the pipelines. Responding, the Chairman of the NPSC Board, Alhaji Isa Inuwa, pledged the readiness of the board to support the NPSC Management towards achieving its set targets. “It is our vision to transit NPSC to a market-phasing, competitive and profit-making organisation. We are committed as a Board to deliver on this mandate,” Inuwa said. Other members of the board are Henry Ikem-Obi, Luke Anele, Umar Ajiya, Ahmadu Sambo, Abdullahi Gunda, Ahmed Danladi, Betty Ugonna while Victor Omoluabi is Secretary.