Group angry with NNPCL over planned 5 mini LNG plants in Kogi

By Faridat Salifu
The recent decision by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to establish five mini Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) plants in Kogi State has drawn ire of the Urhobo Oil and Gas Nationality in Delta State.
Criticizing the decision over the exclusion of Urhobo land in the location of the plants, the Nationality demands that the NNPCL establish the plants in Urhobo land which, it claims, is home to the country’s major gas reserves, instead of Kogi State.
Speaking on over the weekend , Dr. Obiuwevbi Ominimini, National Chairman of the Urhobo Oil and Gas Nationality, voiced concerns over the exclusion of Urhobo land from hosting any of the proposed plants, despite the region being a major source of Nigeria’s oil and gas.
Dr. Ominimini highlighted that while the Urhobo people bear the brunt of the country’s gas flaring activities, which have caused severe health issues, they have yet to benefit from the profits generated from these resources.
“The Urhobo ethnic nationality has the highest reserve of gas and crude oil in Nigeria but has nothing to show for it,” Ominimini said, emphasizing that the region has been left out of key oil and gas initiatives, including the establishment of LNG plants.
He also mentioned that the gas for the Kogi-based plants would be sourced from Urhobo land and neighboring Edo State, making the decision particularly oppressive.
The Urhobo group is calling for the inclusion of their land in the mini LNG plant project, citing its strategic proximity to raw materials and access to seaports in Sapele and Warri, which would aid in LNG exportation.
Ominimini urged the federal government, alongside the NNPCL and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), to prioritize the Urhobo Nation for the establishment of LNG plants.
“This is an issue of fairness,” Ominimini stated. “Our children are suffering due to the lack of employment opportunities, and the environment is left in ruin by unchecked oil exploitation. It is time for Urhobo land to receive its due.”
The NNPCL had recently announced the commencement of the construction of five mini LNG plants in Kogi State, positioning the initiative as a major step toward expanding Nigeria’s domestic gas utilization and contributing to the country’s industrialization.
The project is expected to generate jobs and improve energy access across the nation.
However, Ominimini and the Urhobo group rejected the plan, questioning the decision to establish the plants far from the gas sources in the Urhobo and Edo regions.
He expressed his disappointment that the group’s earlier request for LNG plants in Urhobo land had gone unanswered, stating that the continued exclusion of the community from such vital projects was unacceptable.
“We are prepared to fight this decision, both legally and spiritually,” Ominimini warned. “Enough is enough. The Urhobo people will no longer be taken for granted.”
The call for inclusion of Urhobo land in Nigeria’s gas revolution underscores the community’s long-standing grievances over the mismanagement of its natural resources and the lack of benefits for its people despite their significant contribution to the country’s energy sector.