March 9, 2018

The Federal Government has commended the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) for venturing into the development of renewable energy across the country.

The Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, gave the commendation on Thursday during his visit to NNPC’s pavilion at the ongoing Technology and Innovation Expo 2018 at the Eagles’ Square in Abuja.

Onu said the corporation’s foray into renewable energy would help the country maintain energy security, boost national economy and position her for the fuel export market.

“It is important that we spend a lot of our energy to prepare for the future and the future is in renewable energy.

“I feel happy that this is going on. We are collaborating with NNPC in that respect to make it a reality,” Onu said.

He disclosed that the Ministry was interfacing with the corporation to convert flared gas into methanol.

The minister also said that methanol and ethanol production in the country would go a long way in stabilising energy supply in the country.

“As a result of the abundance of natural gas in Nigeria, we should be able to convert all the flared gas into methanol which will make it more useful in energy, power and petrochemical industries.
“We need to build a strong chemical industry in Nigeria to enable us industrialise in a manner that will make us truly a great nation.”

The 2018 Science and Technology expo with the theme: Fast tracking Sustainable Development of Nigeria through Science and Technology, which started on March 5, ends on Friday.