The National Orientation Agency (NOA) says the deregulation of the downstream sector of the petroleum industry will create more job opportunities for Nigeria’s teaming youths.

The NOA director in Kaduna, Zubairu Galadima-Soba, disclosed on Monday that the deregulation policy was to open the petroleum sector for healthy competition where market prices reflected market realities, thereby encouraging competition.

According to him, the policy will encourage foreign investors to enter the sector, create jobs, and bring in infrastructure development. The policy would also foster petrol imports, which will lead to competition and drive prices down in the long run.

“Trillions of naira spent on subsidies would be used to develop critical infrastructure across different sectors such as health, education, agriculture and many others,” stated Mr Galadima-Soba.

He added, “The deregulation of the sector will also discourage the smuggling of Nigeria’s already subsidised PMS to other countries, which sometimes is the reason for fuel scarcity.”

Mr Galadima-Soba explained that the agency had embarked on a sensitisation campaign across all 23 local government areas in Kaduna to deepen Nigerians’ knowledge and engender their support for the policy.

He stated that the agency had already taken the message to traditional leaders’ offices, religious worship centres, village squares, motor parks, markets and communities.

(NAN)