Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan has performed the ground-breaking ceremony of the more than 16 billion dollars Gas Revolution Industrial Park (GRIP), Delta State with an assurance that the project would create over four million jobs.
While assuring international investors that the project will be completed on schedule, the President announced the constitution of Steering Committee for the project headed by the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Allison-Madueke.
This, he explained would ensure that the Federal Government and not just the President was briefed regularly on the progress of work at the Gas City project adding that the government was determined to deliver the project on schedule.
He stated that the GRIP which has Gas Industrial City, Ogidigben and Deep Sea Port, Gbaramatu both in Warri South-West local government area of Delta State, will create more than one hundred and fifty thousand direct and indirect jobs during construction observing that it will to a large extent, solve the employment problems in Nigeria with over four million naira when it comes on stream fully.
According to him, “in the last few years we have grown our economy in an interesting rate, making our economy the fastest growing economy in Africa, the Gas City project, Ogidigben and the Deep Sea Port, Gbaramatu will reposition Nigeria as the regional hub for gas based industries. With our abundant natural resources, Nigeria should be among the most industrialized nations in the world.”
He thanked the Governor of Delta State, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan and the host communities for their efforts towards actualizing the project asserting: “This is a project which will diversify our economy, the federal government will benefit from revenue, Delta State government will benefit from revenue, host communities will get jobs and there are benefits for everybody, this project will be private-sector driven with assistance for its take-off from the Federal Government.”
The President said the project would be executed in line with international best practices noting that there were lots of benefits derivable from the project as the area has been designated a free trade zone (EPZ).
Excited Governor Uduaghan at the occasion sang praises to God for the ground-breaking ceremony saying that with the project, he can leave office as a fulfilled man.
He stated that the benefits of having the project in Delta State are enormous both to the present and future generations.
“At last we are here today, the President is here live to do the ground-breaking ceremony of the biggest gas city project in the world and the deep sea port; this project is not about clearing of grass, it is not about sand-filling but a project which will be beneficial not only to those who are alive now but those yet to be born. There is no doubt that our people are appreciative of what is been done here today, we pledge to protect this project because, we are the primary beneficiaries.”
Those who spoke at the occasion include the Minister of Transport, Sen. Idris Umar, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Olusegun Aganga, Minister of Petroleum Resources, Deziani Allison-Madueke and an international investor listed out the benefits derivable from the project as enormous as it requires turning natural gas to the advantage of Nigerians.
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