By Henry Akubuiro
It was a constellation of the cream of Nigeria’s corporate world at the conference hall of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Victoria Island, Lagos, three days ago at the launch of Engr. Charles Osezua’s The Rise of Gas: From Gaslink to Decades of Gas, a book described as “a magisterial account of Nigeria’s entry into the comity of oil and gas producing nations.”
The 196-page book, which recounts the author’s foray into oil and gas business, his study in Texas and the years spent making a case for gas at NNPC. It is a recollection of the trajectory of his setting up Gaslink and other companies to prove that gas can be a viable alternative feedstock for industries.
Arts administrator and geologist, Toyin Akinosho, in his review described it as a “massive store of knowledge”. For him, it was “a very unusual Nigerian memoir as it doesn’t dwell on the author but on the subject. He said the author did not focus on writing a book about himself.
“The references to him have to do with the projects he embarked on. It is the narrative of the Nigerian gas sector, which depending on where you sit, is both the highlights of the opportunities and a listing of the frustrations. The Rise of Gas… is the story of battles lost and won. It is the story of why things work in Nigeria in spite of Nigeria,” he said.
Guests at the event included the GCEO of NNPCL, Mele Kyari; co-founder of Seplat Energy and founder of AA Holdings, Austin Avuru; Chairman of UBA, Tony Elumelu; oil industry icon, Basil Omiyi, among others. The event was moderated by Mr. Toni Kan, who described the book as groundbreaking.