Niger Delta NGO Urges Tinubu to Implement Sylva’s Gas Vision
...Celebrates Former Petroleum Minister and Bayelsa Governor, Chief Timipre Sylva, at 61
A Niger Delta-based Non-Governmental Organization, Niger Delta Media Activists Group and Excellent Leadership Foundation, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to adopt and implement the gas development blueprint initiated by Nigeria’s former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, as part of the country’s economic and energy transformation.
The group made this known in Abuja on Sunday through a statement issued by its National Coordinator, Chief Izzi Yakiah, ahead of Sylva’s 61st birthday celebration on Monday, July 7, 2025.
🛢️ Sylva: Champion of Nigeria’s Gas Revolution
Describing Sylva as the first Nigerian politician to champion a gas-based economy, the NGO said his vision aligns with global calls for energy transition and industrial growth. According to Chief Yakiah, Sylva’s leadership and innovative thinking have contributed to peace, socio-economic development, and infrastructural growth, not only in Bayelsa State but across the oil-rich Niger Delta.
He added that Sylva’s commitment to the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) and support for President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda show his enduring relevance and dedication to national progress.
> “Sylva’s strategic role in founding the All Progressives Congress (APC), his unwavering loyalty, and his track record in governance set him apart as a patriot committed to the Nigerian project,” Yakiah stated.
🧭 Legacy of Leadership in Bayelsa and Beyond
The group highlighted several milestones of Sylva’s administration as Bayelsa State Governor (2007–2012), including:
Land reclamation and development of the Yenagoa Business District
Construction of over 52 link roads in Yenagoa
Development of Azikoro Estate Phase II and Gloryland Castle
Award and commencement of the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua International Airport
Facilitation of the Nigeria Law School Campus in Yenagoa
Electrification of rural areas and modern UBE schools across all LGAs
Completion of Diete-Koki Memorial Hospital in Opolo
In education and youth development, Sylva is credited for offering foreign scholarships, expanding skills acquisition initiatives, and enhancing Bayelsa’s educational infrastructure.
⚙️ National Impact as Petroleum Minister
As Minister of State for Petroleum (2019–2023), Sylva was instrumental in:
Signing of the Final Investment Decision for the NLNG Train 7
Kickoff of the AKK Gas Pipeline Project
Deregulation of the petroleum downstream sector
Completion of the 17-storey NCDMB headquarters
Commissioning of the Waltersmith Modular Refinery in Imo State
Successful rehabilitation of Port Harcourt Refinery Phase 1
Peace-building efforts leading to the re-opening of OML 25
Chief Yakiah emphasized that Sylva’s leadership brought calm to the volatile oil-producing communities and laid the groundwork for sustainable oil and gas operations in the Niger Delta.
🏛️ Political Stature and Resilience
Chief Sylva, a native of Okpoama in Brass LGA, Bayelsa State, began his political career in 1992 in the Rivers State House of Assembly. Despite early challenges, including a military interruption, he went on to serve as:
Special Adviser to Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha
Special Assistant to the Minister of Energy, Dr. Edmund Daukoru
Governor of Bayelsa State (2007–2012)
Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (2019–2023)
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