FG, Isreal to partner on methanol production
The Federal Government is making moves to partner with the state of Isreal on Methanol production.
Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu said the country is determined to make sure that the country does sell its natural gas in its native state.
He said that the government is ensuring that it does not repeat the mistakes it made with crude oil but wants the chance to domesticate its technology.
The Minister said this Monday in Abuja, when he received the Ambassador of the state of Israel to Nigeria.
He said, “I am happy that our two nations have been working together on a number of projects because we are very interested in developing this important chemical, we are more of a gas nation than a crude oil nation and we want to start adding value to our natural resources and create more wealth both for individuals and the nation when we process the natural resources we have.
“We are very determined as a nation to make sure that we just don’t sell our natural gas in its native state but use technology to add value and produce a chemical like methanol that has application in so many sectors of the economy.
“We are happy to receive you and happy that there is this willingness to corporate with us and I am also happy that you understand that this is something that we learn from each other so we will be more than willing to offer assistance. We assure you that there is the determination on behalf of the government of Nigeria to diversify our economy and the methanol project is one of the areas that we want to make sure that we use in having a sustainable diversified economy.
“We want to make sure we domesticate the technology in Nigeria, we don’t want the situation where the experience we had with crude oil will be repeated in natural gas, we want the opportunity to domestic the technology so that we can own it and then be in the position to also develop. We will be very happy to continue our relationship with your nation.”
The Ambassador, Shimon Ben-Shoshan said that the partnership can be cheaper, faster and better with less pollution as it is done today.
He said that the partnership will bring a lot of employment to the Nigerian people.
“Trying to bring the science and technology from Isreal to help the Nigerian people and to learn from Nigeria from transferring technology from here to Isreal. Nigeria is blessed with several resources and one of the reasons why I am here is concerning the gas and oil that Nigeria is blessed with.
“Especially right now with the COVID-19 pandemic to bring innovations to the Nigerian people. You have visited some companies in Isreal and you know what we have to offer. It is a long process concerning the methanol that we are talking about, methanol is one of the products that we find out is a green energy that will substitute the oil we use day by day, or use the resources that Nigeria is blessed with.
“We can do it cheaper, faster and better with less pollution as it is done today and with this kind of chemical innovation we can move on and Nigeria can produce it. The bigger project with Nigeria is moving a pipe to Morocco and from there to Europe and the rest, the sky is the limit. We are here in order to work together; we hope that the FG will move to sign this kind of agreement with the state of Isreal in order to start moving to start this kind of partnership.”