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| Muhammadu Buhari, President, Federal Republic of Nigeria |
President Buhari, while speaking
during the commissioning of the plant and the roll out ceremony of fabricated
NNPC gas pipelines by the company in Abuja, revealed that his administration would
continue to promote and protect all efforts targeted at achieving industrial
growth and improving the socio-economic development of Nigeria.
The President, who was ably
represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Babachir Lawal, made it known that
the plant was a great milestone in a collective effort to promote and increase
local content in the oil and gas sector, adding that it would fasten the effort
at transferring technology and technical capacity to Nigerian engineers and
artisans as well as conserve the country’s foreign reserves.
He challenged oil companies
operating in the country to design, develop and produce new specification of
pipes that will meet international standard for low pressure and shallow water
application in the oil and gas industry.
In his own words: “Some local companies have placed order for about 100
kilometers of pipelines to SCC which will sustain the employment of Nigerians
and create more opportunities for training. Nigerian workers should be happy
because once the industry begins to accept made in Nigeria product and place
demand on Nigerian pipe mill like the SCC mill, it would just be a matter of
time for tens of thousands of job to be generated directly and indirectly from
operations of the SCC and other such facilities.
“In the face of
our increasing demands for steel pipes which today stand at 1.2 million tons
annually, the SCC pipe mill is expected to satisfy closed to 10 per cent of the
nation’s oil and gas pipe demands which is about one hundred thousand tons
annually. This development is a great mile stone in our collective effort to
promote and increase content in the oil and gas sector and to fast-track effort
at transferring technology and technical capacity to Nigerian engineers and
artisans as well as conserve the much needed foreign exchange.
“I therefore
commend the SCC in this regards because having started operation with only 50
expatriate staff a few years ago, today you have about 250 Nigerians employed
in the same factory with only four expatriates. I particularly note your
concern about the shortage of steel raw materials in Nigeria; obviously, the
comatose Ajaokuta steel company cannot satisfy our need.”
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