Yahaya Bello. Photo: Twitter/lugardhouse
A new pact signed by the Kogi State Government, in conjunction with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), to create biofuel plants, and refinery in the state, would birth over two million jobs, Governor Yahaya Bello, said Tuesday, in Abuja.
The initiative would produce 84 million litres of biofuel, and yield a cane mill, plus raw and refined Sugar Plant of 126,000 tonnes annually.
Bello said: “Over two million citizens and residence of Kogi would have jobs in the state, as a result of this cassava and sugarcane development project that would be feeding the biofuel refinery plant that is coming up.”According to him, Kogi would become more secure, because the youth would be taken off the streets, while reiterating government’s commitment to providing security and enabling environment for the realisation of the project.
Bello, who said the biofuel refinery will be another milestone in the history of the state, said it would be completed in 36 months. He clarified, “We are producing cassava that we could not even consume as a state. Eventually, we would provide enough for the refinery and for consumption in the state.
“From Kogi State, there is no financial commitment so far. However, we are approaching the African Development Bank, where we intend to secure their commitment, and ensure that we have enough funds to develop infrastructure all around Kogi State for the production of cassava for the project.”
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The Group Managing Director, NNPC, Maikanti Baru, said the Bagasse co-generation Plant would also generate 64 Megawatts of power, adding that it would include a carbon dioxide recovery and bottling plant with capacity of 2,000 tonnes yearly.“The Sugarcane Feedstock Plantation would be on a 19,000-hectare, and it would produce animal feeds of 63,000 tonnes per year,” he said.
He explained that discussions had been held with various parties and stakeholders on the biofuel project on the modality for the implementation, adding that agreements had been reached on its first stage, starting with the signing of an MoU.The signing of the MoU would lead to the formation of a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), to steer future activities of the proposed project, stressing that it is central to the attainment of economic development.
This will be on the basis of value-added investment portfolios, environmental sustainability, climate change mitigation, wealth and job creation to reduce the poverty index, while balancing the ecosystem, and maintenance of national and global security, Baru said.
According to him, the execution of the MoU is a milestone in the Government’s determination to diversify the economy, and at the same time complement Nigeria’s effort in meeting its growing energy demand.“NNPC is committed to implementing Nigeria’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), under the Paris Agreement, aimed at combating global Climate Change to which President Muhammadu Buhari signed, and deposited Nigeria’s “Instrument of Ratification” to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in May 2017,” he said.
Executive Vice Chairman/CEO Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta (left); Senate Minority Whip and Member Senate Committee on Communications, Senator Abiodun Olujimi; and Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) Board of Commissioners, Senator Olabiyi Durojaiye, at the ongoing Mobile World Congress, Barcelona, Spain.
Source: G Business
