NAN-HE-29
Fabrication
By Yunus Yusuf
Lagos, May 18, 2017 (NAN) The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) on Thursday, said Nigerian companies had the capacity to handle fabrication projects locally.
Mr Simbi Wabote, the Executive Secretary of the board made said this in an interview with the News Agency on Thursday in Lagos while speaking against the backdrop of the excellent performance by indigenous companies in fabrication projects in Nigeria.
The executive secretary, who noted that indigenous companies were more competent to handle over 60,000 tons of fabrication in the country said NCDMB planned to ensure 70 per cent of in-country-job retention.
Wabote said that prior to the “Local Content Act’’ in 2010, there were no active dry-dock facilities and fabrication yards in Nigeria.
He noted that the few dry-dock facilities and fabrication yards in the country were abandoned and allowed to rot.
“Today, we have four active dry-dock facilities in Port Harcourt, Onne, and Lagos.
“Nigeria can handle fabrication capacity of more than 60,000 tons in Samsung Heavy Industries and Mega-Construction and Integration (SHI, MCI) yards,’’ he said.
The executive secretary also noted that before the arrival of the local content Act 2010, Nigeria had experienced over $300 billion capital flight.
The country also recorded two million job losses in the past 50 years, adding, however, that the introduction of the Act had changed the tide.
According to him, there are 6,648 local service companies and 40 operating companies registered with NCDMB’s Joint Qualification System (JQS) and are doing business in the oil and gas sector.
“We also have over 75,000 registered individuals in the JQS, 2,742 marine vessels, and 548 registered marine vendors.
“We now have two world-class pipe mills and four impressive pipe coating yards in Nigeria.
“Before 2010, three per cent of marine vessels were owned by Nigerians.
“Today, Nigerians own and control 36 per cent of vessels used in the oil and gas industry, especially in deep offshore areas, PSV, Heavy Lift, and offshore pipeline vessels.”
According to him, all cables required in the oil and gas sectors in Nigeria are manufactured locally today.
“Initially, bolts and nuts were all imported, but today, all bolts and nuts, fully certified to the required oil and gas industry standard for onshore and offshore projects are now available in Nigeria.
“Nigeria Machine Tools, Oshogbo is blazing the trail.
“Today, Nigerians can assemble offshore Christmas tree in-country, which never existed before.
“But now, there are facilities in-country that can do FMC Technologies’ assembling plant in Onne, GE assembling plant in Onne and Calabar can do them.’’
On NCDMB’s vision in the next 10 years, Wabote said the board planned to achieve 70 percent in-country value retention, improve roadway for indigenous and marginal field operators to participate in offshore operations.
According to him, the board also plans to play a bigger role in midstream and downstream sector of the economy.
He said this would be done with sectoral linkage to other sectors such as power, ICT, construction, steel, and mining development.
NAN reports that major fabrication jobs in the oil and gas industry are in construction of metal structures through cutting, bending, and assembling processes of metal.
It is a value-added process that also involves the construction of machines and structures from various raw materials.
(NAN)
YO/AIB/DUA
Edited by Abdulfatah Babatunde/Dada Ahmed