The Kaduna State government, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and the Aggregation Company of Nigeria have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on gas utilization.
This Mou which was signed by Governor Nasir El-Rufai with the gas control company will promote the use of gas development and utilisation projects within Kaduna.
El-Rufai said this project is wholeheartedly welcomed in the State.
According to him “Gas provides a cost-effective option for powering factories, homes and vehicles. For the Kaduna State Government, this project is a welcome boost to our investment and job creation strategy. It will create jobs and provide skills for artisans who will work on the gas pipelines and associated infrastructure. Beyond that, this project will power the industries that have responded with enthusiasm to our investment promotion campaign.”
His statement further read that “the Kaduna State Government has since 2015 worked to create two new industrial areas in the state. The Green Agro-Allied Industrial Zone (GAAIZ) is located in Chikun Local Government Area, along the Kaduna-Abuja highway, while the Green Economic Zone (GEZ) is in Igabi Local Government Area.
“GAAIZ is already hosting investments like the Olam project, the fertiliser plant of OCP of Morocco and DPAN, the joint venture between Dangote Industries and Peugeot for vehicle assembly. Just this week, the African Development Bank disclosed that it will be financing our Special Agro-Processing Zone within the GAAIZ. The Green Economic Zone is being developed as an industrial park for light manufacturing industries.
“Our industrial parks provide clear evidence that Kaduna is ready for gas. The potential customers are here, and this gas expansion project will only attract more business customers. We expect that this gas project will also help expand power supply capacity and options in Kaduna State. It will provide feedstock for the 215MW power plant in Kudenda. I am happy to inform you that the Kaduna State Government will also locate an 84MW power plant in Kudenda, also to be powered by gas. The combined effect of these two power plants will be to make power supply more reliable in Kaduna State.
The governor finally thanked the Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Mele Kyari and for the developmental initiative while also welcoming the evident zeal of the Gas Aggregation Company of Nigeria to deliver the project.