Nigerian manufacturers are increasingly embracing natural gas as rising diesel prices continue to negatively impact production costs and profitability across the industrial sector.
The shift formed part of discussions at a business and investment forum organised by Shell Nigeria Gas (SNG) in Port Harcourt, where stakeholders examined opportunities to reduce operating costs and improve productivity through gas adoption.
Speaking at the event, SNG’s Head of Gas Distribution, Chukwuka Amos-Ejesi, who represented Managing Director Ralph Gbobo, said manufacturers moving to gas were already recording operational gains.
“Companies that transition to natural gas consistently benefit from lower and more predictable energy costs, reduced exposure to liquid fuel price volatility, enhanced operational uptime, improved planning certainty, and a stronger competitive offering for their customers.
“Our focus is to provide solutions that deliver immediate economic value while supporting long-term growth,” he said.
Shell Nigeria Gas disclosed that it recently onboarded Intercontinental Distillers Limited II and Rumbu Industries Limited into its gas distribution network in Agbara, Ogun State, bringing the number of firms using its gas solutions to more than 150 companies across Abia, Bayelsa, Ogun and Rivers states.
Stakeholders at the forum said wider gas adoption could help revive industrial activity in the Niger Delta. The Board Chairman of the Niger Delta Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Trade, Mines and Agriculture, Idaere Gogo Ogan, represented by Chief Solomon Edebiri, said:
“Effective utilisation of gas can significantly reshape industrial practices and revive business activity in the region.”
The forum also featured the signing of gas sales agreements with Boskel Nigeria Limited and Bluefinn Global Resource Limited, as Shell Nigeria Gas reaffirmed plans to deepen gas distribution and support industrial growth in Nigeria.