Ruqayyah Yusuf Aliyu
5 August 2008
Kano — Adequate supply of cooking gas has been identified as the means to check desertification as it will minimise the rampant use of firewood in Nigeria, the Minister of State for Energy, Chief Emmanuel Olatunde Odesina, has disclosed.
Speaking at a one-day interactive session on the Nigerian Gas Master plan organised by Dalfam Company Limited, held in Kano over the weekend, the Minister stated that the federal government will soon provide alternative ways to address the menace of desertification in the country.
The Minister stated further that the provision of cooking gas in small packages at subsidised rates would soon be available in the country for domestic use.
This, the minister added, is part of the provision of the Nigerian Gas masterplan project, saying that the pipe-laying exercise will cover an area of 2000 kilometres from the south to Kano-Katsina through Abuja-Kaduna.
Speaking earlier, the Kano State Governor, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, described the proposed South-North gas pipeline project as of immense benefit to the north particularly Kano and Katsina states as it will open up investment opportunities in the two states.
Governor Shekarau who was represented by his Deputy, Engineer Tijjani Muhammad Gwarzo, disclosed that Kano state has already signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with one of the largest steel manufacturing company in the world (POSCO) in respect of an independent power plant for Kano.
He added that government has approved funds for a feasibility study of the project which is expected to be completed by 2010, noting that Kano state is willing to provide an enabling environment for the execution of the South-North gas pipeline project.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2008 Daily Trust. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
