PRESS RELEASE- INDUSTRIAL-DAWN:-Igali,-PANDEF-Applaud-President-Tinubu-Over-Landmark-15-Year-Gas-Deal-for-First-Indigenous-FLNG
PRESS RELEASE
INDUSTRIAL DAWN: Igali, PANDEF Applaud President Tinubu Over Landmark 15-Year Gas Deal for First Indigenous FLNG
YENAGOA, BAYELSA STATE — August 6, 2026 — The leadership and Board of Trustees of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), under the visionary chairmanship of Amb. (Dr.) Godknows Boladei Igali, OON, have issued a formal commendation to His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, following the Federal Government’s granting of a monumental 15-year gas supply framework to UTM Offshore Limited.
This decisive executive approval clears the path for the construction of Nigeria’s very first Floating Liquefied Natural Gas (FLNG) facility, strategically located offshore Akwa Ibom State.
Key Highlights of the Announcement
- Historic Indigenous Leadership: The multi-billion-dollar FLNG project marks a critical turning point in Nigeria's energy sector, placing indigenous companies—UTM Offshore Limited, Seplat Energy, and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC)—at the helm of the nation's gas-driven industrialization.
- Inspiration for Regional Enterprise: spearheaded by dynamic Niger Delta industrialist Dr. Julius Rone, OFR, UTM Offshore's pioneering role serves as a powerful testament to the capacity of local leadership in adding high-value processing to the country’s vast natural gas reserves.
- Transformative Socio-Economic Impact: The multi-billion-dollar development phase will generate significant short- and medium-term employment, expand regional infrastructure, and serve as a major catalyst for broader economic growth across Akwa Ibom State and the entire South-South region.
- Environmental & Price Relief: Commercializing stranded gas resources directly targets the decades-long scourge of gas flaring, significantly mitigating environmental pollution while helping to stabilize domestic and industrial gas prices for regional communities.
Executive Statement
"This gas supply approval is momentous as it will add significantly to efforts aimed at bringing rapid industrialization to the Niger Delta. PANDEF will be at the fulcrum of galvanizing regional community support to ensure an optimal operating environment for the project throughout its lifecycle."
— Amb. (Dr.) Godknows Boladei Igali, OON
National Chairman, PANDEF
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