Women in Energy Forum Seeks End to Gas Flaring

The Federal Government has been urged to open up the nation’s oil and gas sector for more investors to come in, by enhancing policies, and putting a halt to the flaring of gas reserves in the country, while convert such to usable energy that could be used to power things.

The Director of the International Forum for Women in Energy, Oil and Gas, Delta State Chapter, Mrs Ogochuku Okekpolo, made the call during the induction of pioneer members of the forum in the State, in Warri.

She maintained that “women professionals are ready to take leadership roles in these aspects”.

“We have many women who are professionals. The problem is that they don’t want to be visible. Our tradition, our culture wants a woman to be behind, to hide. But in this drive, we have met many women professors in oil and gas. This forum gives us a platform where we can draw out these raw golds,” she stated.

Okekpolo noted that the country has a lot of gas reserves presently being flared which, according to her, “could have otherwise been converted to usable energy that we can use to power things”.

She said, “I think gas flaring not only degenerates our environment, it is like a wastage of a lot of resources. Oil and gas have a lot of by-products that can be useful in the development of our economy.”

Punch/Hauwa Abu