Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has attributed the drop of electric power supply on the repeated attacks on oil and gas pipelines to the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA).
Mr. Osinbajo said the damages inflicted on terminals and gas pipeline installations, mostly in the Niger Delta region, have further helped in crippling the country’s economic growth and development.
“Loss of gas is the major reason why Nigeria has a shortage of power,” he added.
He stated this on Friday at the 2nd Foundation Lecture of the privately owned Elizade University, Ilaro Mokin in Ifedore Local Government Area of Ondo State, SaharaReporters correspondent reported.
Mr. Osinbajo, who delivered a forty-minute lecture with the theme “The Future Is Here, Earlier Than We Thought” observed that investing in key technological innovations is critical to the scientific growth and expansion of Nigeria.
According to Mr. Osinbajo, Nigeria as a developing nation would firstly need to address and solve the issue of pipeline vandalism to take full advantage of economic opportunities.
He explained that the main target of the present administration, led by President Muhammadu Buhari, in the power sector of the country is to generate 7, 000 Megawatts in the next few years. Presently Nigeria generates 5,000 Megawatts which is considered unstable.
Mr. Osinbajo, who disclosed that fifty percent of Nigeria’s power generation comes through the use of gas, expressed grief at the daily attacks on the country’s oil pipeline by some unscrupulous economic saboteurs hiding under the mask of the beleaguered NDA to cause damages.
He further posited that the militants, masquerading in the guise of the NDA, are not fighting for the region’s freedom but only agitating for their own personal financial interests, thereby shortchanging the country’s growth and development.
He maintained that billions of naira from the country’s treasury had been spent on the need to maintain peace in the Niger Delta region and wondered why there was continued hostility from militants who are selfishly and purposely crippling the country’s economy by destroying oil pipelines.
“They [Niger Delta Avengers] are only fighting for their own private economic benefits. It is unacceptable to destroy oil pipelines,” he said.
He challenged the Nigerian youths and university students to learn ‘multi-skills’ that require use of technology, which could help salvage their quest for white-collar jobs that are no longer visible in the country.
“Multi-skilling is required in the future of today because, in the nearest future, robots will take over the jobs in the country.
“You have to be innovative in your thinking and ideas,” the Vice President concluded.
