Local Content Is a Success Story For Nigeria- NSE
By Steve Temienor
WARRI/Nigeria: The Warri chapter of the Nigeria Society of Engineers, NSE has described the implementation of the local content act as a success story for Nigeria, as it has ensured that the big spend in the oil and gas industry is in the upstream with the downstream as value addition.
Speaking during the annual public lecture in Effurun tagged; enhancing local content technology development in Nigeria, the guest speaker Engr Mukolos Joel disclosed that the upstream domesticate 50% of its annual budget and this has grown capacity in Nigerians, taking ownership in the oil and gas industry.
“Today I stand to be corrected that Nigerians can do turnaround maintenance activities in the refineries and the enabling environment can be created because we must promote the development and utilization of in-country capacity for the industrialization of Nigeria.”
According to Mukolos “We become slaves when we allow foreigners to develop all our blocks and to improve the local content and technological development in Nigeria, maintenance of the oil and gas industry is critical even in terms of the engineering, fabrication, marine transportation and logistics. Just as certification of Nigeria engineering companies, maintenance contractors should be implemented.”
Mukolos who lamented that the Warri Refinery and Petrochemical Company, WRPC, is still running without maintenance also called for the implementation of certification of all artisan and craftsmen, technicians and maintenance and reliability professionals.
Highpoint of the event was the presentation of awards to notable personalities present at the one day event.
