The Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr Maikanti Baru, on Thursday re-commissioned an Ibadan Depot to ease the supply of petroleum products to the South-West.
Baru said this in a statement in Abuja on Wednesday by Mr Ndu Ughamadu, NNPC Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division.
According to Baru, products supply and distribution received a huge boost in Oyo State and the South-West region, following the re-commissioning of the Ibadan Depot.
He said the re-commissioning was in fulfilment of the Presidential mandate of revamping the nation’s critical oil and gas infrastructure for the benefit of the citizenry.
Baru said the corporation had rehabilitated its System 2E (Port Harcourt to Aba), System 2D (Kaduna to Kano) and the Atlas Cove to Mosimi segment of the System 2B pipeline.
He added that this had led to the commissioning of Aba, Kano and Mosimi depots.
While noting that efforts were underway to re-commission the remaining parts of the System 2B pipeline (Mosimi to Ore depot and from Ibadan to Ilorin depot), Baru announced the conclusion of rehabilitation work on the System 2E (Aba – Enugu) pipeline segment.
“Very soon, these depots will experience the impact of our collective resolve to get the critical infrastructure back on stream,’’ he added.
He commended the Oyo State Government for its consistent support over the years, saying it had “immensely contributed to safeguarding NNPC’s Pipeline Right of Way (PROW) that feeds the Ibadan Depot’’.
Responding, Gov. Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State, described the resumption of loading operations in the area as “a great development which would have a major impact on the socio-economic well-being of Oyo people and the entire South West region.
“Today, I am happy because the resuscitation of this depot has brought about a great impact on our economic value chain which will be seen in commerce, industry and employment generation for our people.’’
Ajimobi assured Baru of his support towards securing NNPC’s PROW across the state and promised to provide vehicles for security operatives patrolling pipelines within the state.
The NNPC boss had in May in Kano re-commissioned the Kaduna-Kano pipeline