Baru Assures Indigenous Coy On Local Content Support

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) will continue to support indigenous companies to boost the local content policy in the country.

The NNPC Group Managing Director, Maikanti Baru stated this while inspecting the production yard of Lee Engineering and Construction Company Limited, in Warri, Delta State on Saturday.

He said that the company deserved support of the corporation with the level of investment it had as an indigenous company.

The local content policy is the quantum of composite value added to or created in the Nigerian economy by a systematic development of capacity and capabilities through the deliberate utilisation of Nigerian human, material resources and services in the Nigerian oil and gas industry.

“Well, I could almost say that I am speechless after touring this facility, for a Nigerian Company to have put up this level of equipment and investment in Engineering Procurement and Construction (EPC).

“Ths is quite visionary to have somebody who could dream the dream that Dr Lemon Ikpea has done because it is not only the level of investment but the quality and thought forward of what should be done,’’ he said.

Baru said that the company had produced lot of fabrication that could have been done outside the country, adding that Nigerians were the major workers in the company.

“Surprisingly, also for me since I came, I can see only one white man, which shows that may be even the white man has long standing relationship because my evaluation of the function I have been told he is doing, it is not rocket science.

“The Nigerians I have seen all over the workshop, on the floor, can definitely do what he is doing because they are doing more complex work.

“They operate CAC machines, Leaser machines, Automated rolling machines, these are very complex machines to be operated,’’ he added.

He commended the visionary ideas of the owner of the company and gave the assurance of adequate support from the corporation.

“What we can do as leaders in the oil and gas industry is to see how best to support this kind of investment because this investment will require continuous operation.

“If you don’t give them jobs, you don’t get them to do jobs, then, the investment will be wasted.

“My visit here, essentially is to reinforce my commitment to local content because we are champions of Local content and I believe in local content.

“And seeing that somebody who is not in NNPC not only believes but practice local content, the only thing we can do is to see how best to support Lee Engineering, to see that these investment they have done is continuously being utilized,’’ he said.

Earlier, the Chief Executive of the company, Dr Lemon Ikpea, commended Baru for accepting to visit the company in spite of his tight schedules.

He said that the company commenced operation about 28 years ago and had grown into a leading EPC company in the sector.

He said that the company since inception had not accessed any support from government as an indigenous company in spite of its commitment to local content policy.

“Lee Engineering is a 100 per cent Nigerian company but have not gotten any form of support from government even on tax waivers,‘’ he said.

He said that the company’s participation in the gas master plan over the years had encouraged it to massively invest in the construction of the state of the art industrial equipment fabrication factory.

“The factory is geared specifically towards production of diverse process equipment and spare parts for the gas and power industry.

“It has the capacity for manufacturing high and medium pressure vessels, heat exchangers, stand-alone process modules, tanks, flare system, drums among others,’’ he said.

He solicited the support of the government and reiterated the commitment of the company to the development of the oil and gas sector in the country.

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NAN