
President Muhammadu Buhari is expected to leave for Tehran on Sunday where he will participate in the 3rd Gas Exporting Countries’ Forum (GECF) opening in the Iranian capital on Monday, November 23.
A statement by the special adviser to the President on media and publicity, Femi Adesina said that Buhari and the leaders of Iran, Russia, Qatar, the Netherlands, Venezuela, Oman, Algeria, the United Arab Emirates, Bolivia and other member-countries of the GECF are expected to review the current market outlook on gas and discuss strategies for boosting gas production during their meeting in Tehran.
The statement said that Nigeria and other GECF members currently account for 42 percent of global gas production, 70 percent of global gas reserves, 40 percent of pipeline transmission of gas and 65 percent of the global trade in Liquefied Natural Gas.
It said that President Buhari is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with other participating Heads of State and Government on the sidelines of the GECF summit and will also meet with Nigerians resident in Iran.
The President will be accompanied on the trip by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, the Minister of Power, Works & Housing, Babatunde Fashola, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu and the National Security Adviser, Major General Babagana Monguno (rtd.).
The President, according to the statement, is expected back in Abuja on Tuesday. [myad]