Lee Engineer International Machinery Services Ltd., an equipment fabrication hub, will be inaugurated by the Federal Government in the first quarter of 2023 to boost oil and gas production.
Dr. Leemon Ikpea, the Chief Executive Officer, of Lee Engineering and Construction Company Ltd., said this at a news conference on Friday in Abuja.
Ikpea said the factory would be commissioned by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the facility is an arm of Lee Engineering Group, a leading indigenous oil, gas, and power servicing company, in Nigeria.
On completion, the facility would produce heat exchangers, especially for gas, high-pressure vessels, scuppers, and several other equipment used in the oil and gas sector and beyond.
Ikpea who lauded the Federal Government for enacting the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act, noted that the company’s 31 years of existence had been dedicated to the servicing of Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
He said the implementation of the NOGICD took a step further in encouraging the local manufacturing and fabrication workshop to boost local content and stem importation.
Ikpea said the factory would have been commissioned this period to mark its 31st anniversary if not for some technical hitches.
Ikpea said the issue would be resolved in Europe.
“As soon as the issues are resolved the factory will be commissioned in the first quarter of 2023.
“It is going to save money for the country while there will be patronage by other countries, including Angola and Mozambique.
“We are equally building a Jetty close to the factory for export,” he said.
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He said that the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, and his counterpart in the Ministry of Trade and Investment, Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo, had already inspected the factory.
He said the project had also been supervised by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB).
Ikpea, who pioneered the advocacy for local content said the move would protect the interest of indigenous contractors.
“We have trained a lot of Nigerians in various parts of the world to man the equipment,” he added.
According to him, foreign companies cannot transfer technology and knowledge to Nigerians, and as such he decided to develop the initiative to drive the process.
Ikpea said he took note of the role some Nigerians played in construction while working with a UK-based company that specialized in building oil storage tanks in the 80s during the construction of the Warri Refinery and Petrochemical Company Ltd.
He said the big structures were erected by Nigerians but the foreigners only brought their cranes, forklifts, and other equipment being used by Nigerians while they supervised.
“Nigerians were doing the major works, including welding, electrical, and erections while the foreigners supervised.
“Working with the British and Italian companies exposed me to the fact that Nigerians are talented, hardworking, and committed.
“From that experience, I was inspired to transfer knowledge to others,” he said.
He called on the government to strengthen and sustain the NCDMB to facilitate the growth of skills, technology, and competence in the country.
Ikpea also called for an increased percentage of local content in the oil and gas industry to encourage more indigenous participation.
