The building of the Oyo State Government (OYSG)-Shell Nigeria Gas Ltd (SNG) project to build a new gas distribution infrastructure network in the state was officially kicked off on Thursday by Engineer Seyi Makinde, the governor of Oyo State.
At the Gas Infrastructure Development and Distribution Project’s groundbreaking ceremony, which was held at Kilometre 10 of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in Ibadan, the governor said that his administration realized early enough that it needed to work with the private sector and development organizations to design a modern Oyo State.
The governor was reported as adding that he has been leading an inclusive government that is concentrated on developing infrastructure that prioritizes economic growth in a statement by the governor’s chief press secretary, Mr. Taiwo Adisa.
He continued by saying that his administration had purposefully undertaken projects that touched every region of the state and all social strata directly.
According to the governor, when completed, the gas infrastructure project will deliver gas to industrial, manufacturing, and commercial companies, adding that it will also serve new emerging industrial corridors and industrial parks/zones, Independent Power Projects, and provide stable power generation for industrial and residential use within the state.
He said: “Yes, we promised Omituntun(breath of fresh air) and we are delivering Omituntun.
“Back in 2019, when we came into office, four years seemed like such a long time to many people. But we knew how short four years would be because of how much work we had to do. Our infrastructure deficit was huge. At the same time, resources were dwindling.
“Yet, we kept in clear focus the task of ensuring that Oyo State lived up to its moniker, ‘Pacesetter State.’
“We knew that to engineer a modern Oyo State, we must engage the private sector and development agencies.
“And now, look how far we have come. We have run very inclusive governance. Whether in Ibadan, Ogbomoso, Oke-Ogun, Oyo, or even Ibarapa, you can point to state government projects in your zone.
“In fact, I have made it a point that when I meet people who say they are from Oyo State, I ask them where in Oyo. Once they name it, we can match their zone with a project.”
The governor, who stated that he was glad that another milestone was being added to the numerous achievements already recorded by his administration, added: “We will soon officially flag off our campaign, and then we will talk about all we have done to change the economic landscape in Oyo State.
“Today, we are here to add another milestone to our achievements as we flag off the construction of the Oyo State Government (OYSG) and Shell Nigeria Gas Ltd (SNG) Gas Project. This project is for constructing a Pressure Reduction & Metering Station (PRMS).
“Through this project, we will create a new gas distribution infrastructure network in Oyo State. This infrastructure will deliver gas to industrial, manufacturing and commercial companies. “It will also serve new emerging industrial corridors and industrial parks/zones, Independent Power Projects, and provide stable power generation for industrial and residential use within the state.
“People might ask, how much is Oyo State spending on this? Well, the project will be funded by SNG on a Build, Own, Operate, and Transfer (BOOT) basis. SNG will transfer the infrastructure to Oyo State after 15 years.
“One thing we have always done is to ensure that all our projects are interconnected. For example, when we said we would drive our economy through agriculture, some people thought we would start buying fertilizer and other inputs and distributing them to phantom farmers.
“But that was the old way of doing things. We chose instead to take the infrastructure approach. Instead of handing money to people, we built the roads they needed to link our farming communities to markets.
“We also attracted big businesses willing to work with our farmers as off-takers. While at the same time subscribing to donor-assisted agricultural programs. And so, we linked agriculture to road construction and rural development.”
He stated that the state’s “Light up Oyo” project and the gas infrastructure project are related, and he expressed his confidence in his ability to commission the project since the people of Oyo State will elect him to serve for another four years of sustainable development.
Barr. Temilolu Ashamu, the state’s commissioner for energy and mineral resources, had earlier stated that gas would be used to spur large-scale development and put Oyo State ahead of the curve.
The project will pump its first gas in the first quarter of 2024, according to Shell Nigeria Gas’ Managing Director, Mr. Ed Ubong. He also mentioned that the business has already created a gas master plan that will take gas to every corridor in Oyo State.
“I was just discussing this with the governor that there is a chance that, by next year, that first gas will start flowing here in Oyo. It will be in phases. We would carry out what we call an early phase where gas will be delivered virtually,” he said.