NLNG dedicates 150,000 metric tonnes of cooking gas for domestic use annually, says official

 The Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Ltd (NLNG) said on Thursday in Abuja that it dedicated 150,000 tonnes of cooking gas annually for domestic use.
The company’s General Manager, External Affairs, Mrs Sienne Brown, made this known when she led an NLNG management team on a courtesy visit to the Minister of Science and Technology, Prof. Ita Ewa.

 The Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Ltd (NLNG) said on Thursday in Abuja that it dedicated 150,000 tonnes of cooking gas annually for domestic use.
The company’s General Manager, External Affairs, Mrs Sienne Brown, made this known when she led an NLNG management team on a courtesy visit to the Minister of Science and Technology, Prof. Ita Ewa.
She said though the company was originally set up to liquefy natural gas for export, it realised over the years that it needed to retain at least 150,000 tonnes of cooking gas for domestic use as part of its corporate social responsibility.
 According to her, “Nigeria LNG is first and foremost a science-oriented company; it is a company initially set up – in fact still set up – for export purposes.
 “However, over the years, Nigeria NLG realised that being the most successful company in Nigeria, we also owed it as part of our corporate social responsibility to begin to do more things for Nigeria.
“So today Nigeria LNG has dedicated 150,000 metric tonnes of LPG otherwise known as cooking Gas to Nigeria but sadly, Nigeria cannot even consume half of it.”
  Brown said as part of its corporate social responsibility, the company also introduced the Nigeria Price for Literature and Nigeria Price for Science awards with an initial price money of $20,000 in 2004.
She said that though the price money had been increased to $100,000, the quality of scientific work sent in annually was dwindling to such an extent that winners could not emerge for three years.
 She, however, said NLNG was overwhelmed with the entries it received for the Price for Literature and urged participants to maintain the tempo.
 The external affairs manager said while Nigeria was able to produce the first Nobel Laureate in Prof Wole Soyinka, South Africa had gone ahead of Nigeria to produce three Nobel Laureate winners in literature.
 She, however, said there was still room for improvement.
She said the visit was to seek ways of fostering partnership with the ministry in areas that would improve the quality of research in the country.
 Brown said such partnership would not only improve the quality of scientific works worthy of the Price for Science but would also bring about research and development efforts that would affect the Nation positively. “For three years, not consecutive, there was no winner: 2005, 2007 and last year and it’s still not looking too good.
 “We have come to a point where we think there is need to call together all the stakeholders to take a look at what is happening to science and research in Nigeria so that we can up our game in science and technology and hopefully begin to produce better material as entries for the price for science.
 “We are hoping that after this call, we would be able to find some way where the Minister can put us on to the speed lane to see if there is some way we can begin to harvest all the work that these people have put together all for national development.
 “This price is there, it can only grow: Nigeria LNG does the sponsoring; Nigeria LNG would like someone to win the price; in fact each year that we do not win the price we plough it back.”
  In his remark, Ewa described science and technology as the pivot for economic development, saying the ministry was doing its best to improve the science sector.
 He said it was the hope of the ministry to drive the Nigerian economy through science, technology and innovation in order to reduce the country’s over-dependence on oil revenue.
Ewa identified the lack of commercialisation as a major challenge facing the sector, adding that concerted efforts were being made to ensure that research works were commercialised.
 He commended the NLNG for its efforts toward science and technology development, adding that such efforts were worthy of note and capable of encouraging research and development in Nigeria. 
 “Your efforts in developing science is worthy to note and I appreciate the steps taken so far in the direction by the Nigeria NLG, he said.
“`The Nigeria Price for Science which, has been on for the past eight years is a laudable achievement worth of note by the science community.