By Sunday Etuka, Abuja
The Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC Ltd), Mr. Mele Kyari has been Awarded the Energy Times’ GCEO of the Year, in recognition of his hard work.
Chief Corporate Communications Officer of the Company, Mr. Olufemi Soneye received the award on behalf of the NNPC boss, in a ceremony held at the Eko Hotel and Suites in Lagos on Friday.
According to the Governing Council of Energy Times Award Committee, Kyari’s hard work has played a significant role in the company’s success and has contributed significantly to the growth of the energy sector in Nigeria.
Speaking at the occasion, Kyari said the NNPC Ltd, which has been on transition since the passage of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) has been championing the push to transform Nigeria into a gas-powered nation in keeping with its enormous natural endowment with over 209 trillion cubic feet proven natural gas reserves.
“We are building gas infrastructure such as the OB-3 Gas Pipeline, AKK Gas Pipeline to deepen the use of gas in the domestic market, while we are also promoting the West Africa Gas Pipeline and the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline, as well as the Train 7 of the NLNG and number of Floating LNG Projects to deliver gas the global market,” Kyari stated.
The GCEO further noted that the NNPC Ltd is also aggressively expanding its portfolio in the power sector to make the company a truly rounded energy company.
“Apart from our stakes in a number of Independent Power Plants such as Afam VI, Okpai Phases 1 and 2 with a combined installed capacity of 1,420MW, there have plans to build three new power plants in the AKK Pipeline corridor Abuja, Kaduna, and Kano. The ground-breaking ceremony of the 1,350MW wholly owned Gwagwalada Power Plant was performed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in August last year” he added.
Kyari, who dedicated the award to all NNPC Ltd staff, thanked the Energy Times editorial board for finding him worthy of the recognition, adding that it would spur him to work harder towards achieving more for both the NNPC Ltd and the Nigerian Oil & Gas Industry.
