Godson Irikefe
June 5, 2015 – The Management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has reiterated its determination to continue to carry out its operations in such a way that the environment would be preserved and the green economy would be promoted.
The Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Dr. Joseph T. Dawha stated this while delivering the keynote address at the World Environment Day with the theme: “7 Billion Dreams, One planet, Consume with care,” at the NNPC Towers in Abuja.
Represented by the Group Executive Director, Refining and Petrochemical, Engr. Gregory Udoh, the GMD noted that the NNPC would continue to execute and encourage policies and programmes that enhance health, safety and preservation of the environment in alignment with the United Nations on the environment.
Dr. Dawha stated that the NNPC like most other players in the Oil and Gas Industry would continue to come up with proactive engagements that would cut down on consumption of natural resources in its bid to work for a sustainable productive future.
He reiterated that the NNPC has made Health, Safety and environment (HSE) a core component of every aspect of its business and would help to raise awareness on safety of the environment. He noted that the Corporation has cut down on gas flare and oil spill all in a bid to promote a healthy environment that is safe for all.
Speaking in similar vein, the Group Executive Director, Engineering and Technology, Engr. Adebayo Ibirogba said the NNPC as part of its determination to promote a clean environment is working round the clock to encourage the use of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) which is a cleaner, safer and cheaper domestic energy.
According to him, NNPC is in the best position to do this as it is the largest equity owner of the LPG produced in Nigeria and also currently the sole producer/importer of one of the major competing fuels to LPG which is kerosene. In addition, NNPC owns over 60% of the current in country LPG storage capacity totaling 60,000 tons.
He noted that at the moment the LPG cylinder circulation is less than a million and the NNPC Retail is working aggressively to increase the number to 10 million in the years ahead stressing that LPG is a game changer that would shore up the revenue base of the Corporation.
On his part, the General Manager, Health, Safety and Environment, Engr. Rabiu Suleiman said the Corporation has successfully evacuated 98 percent of the banned Tetra Ethyl Lead (TEL) hazardous substance from Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna Refineries without any incidence in line with the United Nations convention.
He said the feat is first of its kind in the world thereby positioning Nigeria and the NNPC on the global environmentally friendly map; adding that other countries where such evacuations were carried out several incidences were recorded.
Delivering the lecture of the day, a renowned environmentalist and Executive Director Basel Convention from the University of Ibadan, Professor Oladele Osibanjo applauded the NNPC for the phase out of Tetra Ethyl Lead (TEL) in gasoline from Nigeria and described the accomplishment as a successful sustainable consumption and production environmental practice by the Corporation.
He stressed that Companies like the NNPC that adopt environmentally friendly policies should be given incentives to do more and to encourage other corporate bodies to do same in order to reinforce the stick and carrot approach as adopted in other developed climes.
World Environment Day is celebrated annually on the 5th of June as the United Nations’ principal vehicle for encouraging worldwide awareness and coordinated positive actions for the environment. It also serves as people’s day for doing something positive for the environment, galvanizing individual actions into a collective momentum that generates an exponential positive impact on the planet.
