The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board has commended Marconi NG EPC Limited for wholly acquiring SAIPEM maintaining that with the acquisition Marconi can easily now execute projects on both Swamp and Land even in the deep offshore.
Maintaining that the company now has advantage over both Swamp, Land and Deep Offshore value chain, the Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Engineer Felix Omatsola Ogbe added that the company can now dominate both on Swamp, Land and Offshore.
Speaking on Wednesday at the Facility Yard in Port Harcourt during a Media Tour organized for South South Journalists, Dr. Obinna Ezeobi, General Manager Corporate Communications, NCDMB, who represented the E.S said with the recent acquisition, most of the fabrications and other things can now be done in country ragtding them as one of the big fabrication company in Nigeria.
He however admitted that for now, NCDMB doesn’t have any equity with the company but added that they are free to come for financial support as the board has already signed $100 Million Equity Scheme with Bank of Industry.
The General Manager Corporate Communications said that the essence of taking journalist around some of the oil and gas facilities was to let them know exactly what was happening at the files stating doing theory alone will not effectively tell success stories of NCDMB.
“Remembers that Land amd Swamp Value Chains is reserved only for Nigerian companies. In the past, SAIPEM used to be owned partly by foreigners and Nigerians which means they could not do jobs in the swamps value chain but with what Marconi has done now, having full Nigerian ownership, they can play in the whole value chain; land and swamp and in the deep offshore. They are able to work across the value chain so they are well positioned to dominate in both land, swamp and in deep offshore.
“They are actually positioned now for Bonga North amd other projects. We are showcasing them and have you see practical Nigerian Content. We took you BUNORR wchich is a company we invested in. We have Equity with BUNOOR. We don’t have Equity in Macorni but we have a duty to showcase them and through that, we are achieving or mandate.
“Doing Media Tour of Oil and Gas facilities, this is one of the things that we have promised that we will do to build the capacity of media stakeholders and to expose our media friends to practical Oil and Gas activities.In the past eight years we have build the capacity of our Media stakeholders through trainings that we do every year but we thought that we needed to go a step further which is taking you to the field and having you experience how the process actually works so that you can marry the theories of what you have with the real things happening in the field to enable you become experts in your reportage.
“And Marconi is as they said the biggest company in Nigeria.
Interesting Nigerian content act, section 67 and 70 talked about communication and engaging stakeholders and the Media is a majore stakeholder. We want our Media friends to understand practically how the industry works and to deepen NCDMB’s relationship with the Media and to showcase companies when they are doing very well.
“When we showcase this Marconi, we are also showcasing Nigerian Content. When we will market them, we are marketing NCDMB and when they succeed, we are succeeding. NCDMB is working hand in hand with Nigerian companies to create opportunities for Nigerian Youths and to create more jobs in the country
Also speaking The managing Director of Marconi NG EPC Ltd, Gian Fabio Dal Cioppo, disclosing that the facility was sitting one million square Myers of land states that they acquired the facility from SAIPEM for future purposes adding that “this yard is one of the few remaining yards for fabrication in Nigeria and it is very important for Local Content and for the future of the country.”
He disclosed that the yard was the biggest in Nigeria maintaining that projects for Oil and Gas in the country can be executed there “because we have office spaces, accommodation, and other fabrication facilities. We can fabricate in excess of twenty thousand tons per year.We have jetty spaces. We can do Assembly.”
He disclosed that in the last years, “there is this trend of giving job to outside countries but we can demonstrate being a Nigerian Company. That is why we can do work which is cost effctive. With this, we cant demonstrate that a lot of work can be done here.”
Dr. David Editen, Business Development Manager of Marconi explained that the company is one hundred percent indigenous company Nigerian Company adding: “We thought it wise to see how most jobs in NCDMB can be domiciled in the county.
He said that Marconi do Marine Logistics “which means you can come here, do business and you can clear some of your goods here. We generate our own Power. We have equipment to support what we do in the Oil and Gas industry.”
