Foremost petroleum marketing company in Lagos, Nigeria, MOB Integrated Services Limited, is now the largest supplier of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) in West Africa, delivering over 25,000 metric tonnes (MT) monthly across the sub-Sahara Africa, including Nigeria, Republic of Benin and Ghana. With Nigeria still being an emerging market, which consumes above 500,000 metric tonnes annually, MOB Integrated Services has positioned itself as a front runner and leading company to boost the supply and availability of LPG in the country in support and fulfilment of the Presidential Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) expansion initiative.
In addition, the company is also sponsoring gas initiatives by Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) promoting the use of LPG in place of other cooking fuels like wood, charcoal and kerosene. The company’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Gbolahan Obanikoro, who expressed optimism about the adoption of LPG in the country, said: “Nigeria is a sleeping giant with an annual consumption capacity of five million metric tonnes per annum. “We are currently consuming about 600,000 metric tonnes just a little above 10 per cent of our actual capacity. Our goal is to continue to push for the adoption and penetration of LPG across the country, ensuring that the product is available to consumers and of course position ourselves to harness the benefits of when the market takes a corner and the country is poised to achieving its consumption potential.”
He added “In furtherance of the Presidential LPG Expansion Initiative aimed at deepening the usage and fully integrate the product into Nigeria’s energy mix, MT Sahara Gas, the newly built vessel acquired by the West Africa Gas Limited (WAGL), has delivered an unprecedented 11,000 metric tonnes of LPG to Nigeria in order to boost availability and safe access to the commodity.”
WAGL, is a Joint Venture of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and Sahara Group. The JV is run by two companies, NNPC LNG Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of NNPC and Sahara Energy’s oil and gas trading arm, Ocean Bed Trading Limited (BVI). WAGL, in January 2017, acquired two new vessels, MT Africa Gas and MT Sahara Gas, in its bid to reduce transportation bottlenecks; add value to the Nigeria economy through exporting the commodity; deepen the LPG market in West Africa as well as enhance access to clean and safe energy.
It could be recalled that NNPC Group Managing Director, Dr. Maikanti Baru, had said that in keeping with the federal government’s economic growth plan, WAGL remained committed to stabilising the market and ensuring sustainability of the commodity through strategic deliveries within the sub-region. “This is a historic achievement for the NNPC and Sahara Group that showcases a truly successful partnership by all global standards. The quest is to achieve uninterrupted supply of the commodity and address infrastructural limitations as we continue to implement our zero tolerance policy against adulterated products and their promoters across Nigeria,” he stated. Baru said the NNPC/Sahara Group partnership remained a model for successful JVs, adding that both parties were considering various strategies to optimise the delivery of the product across West Africa.
