IBOM POWER MD CHAMPIONS JOINED-UP EFFORTS TO SOLVE GAS CHALLENGES

The Acting Managing Director of Ibom Power Company Limited, Engr. Camillus Umoh has called for a comprehensive and collaborative approach to addressing the power sector challenges in Nigeria.

He spoke as a panelist at the South-South Gas Utilization Forum organized by the Gas Aggregator Company Nigeria Ltd (GACN) in partnership with the Akwa Ibom State Government, Ministry of Petroleum Resources and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Limited, held recently in Uyo.

Speaking on what it would take to unlock the nation’s power generation capacity, Engr. Umoh emphasized that no single player in the sector can tackle the problem alone. “It must be a joined-up effort”, he said.

“There has to be a holistic approach. Each interface point or boundary is an inefficiency point therefore the players are encouraged to do some element of vertical (backward) integration”.

“Whether it is forward or backward because we need gas supply for the thermal generation. If it’s forward, we need the transmission and distribution lines, we need meters. The whole system is in a such a way that the performance of the least player in that ecosystem defines the profile of the ecosystem”, he said.

Engr. Umoh pointed out that the problems in the power ecosystem cannot be treated in isolation stating that “there is no silver bullet solution”. “There must be an amalgam of forthright resolutions that address the power problem as it truly is”.

To further support the system, Engr. Umoh called for targeted funding to help the sector purchase essential spare parts, almost all of which are imported. He recommended a CBN-backed Presidential directive to prioritize access to foreign exchange for these critical imports.

He underscored the need for building local capacity by encouraging standardization and creating in-country inventories of essential spare parts, reducing delays that currently occur when parts must be sourced from overseas.

The South-South Gas Utilization Forum was attended by the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, represented by the Deputy Governor, Senator (Dr.) Akon Eyakenyi, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), ObongEmem Ekperikpe Ekpo and high-level stakeholders across the gas value chain, government, industry and investment partners.