5th March, 2018
Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), on Monday said it is collaborating with the Nigerian Content Development Management Board to encourage innovative Nigerians to invest in fabrication.
Dr Maikanti Baru, the Group Managing Director made this known to newsmen in Abuja at the 2018 Science and Technology Expo organised by the Ministry of Science and Technology.
Baru, who was represented by the NNPC Chief Operating Officer, Gas and Power, Mr Saidu Mohammed said the corporation was not just making an appearance at the Expo but was fully participating.
“We are in collaboration with the Nigerian Content Development Management Board, and have gone ahead to get Nigerians who are innovative and willing to invest to go into fabrication.
“In other words, what we want to do is to also domesticate the big chunk of where we spend the money, that is procurement, and we have gone far.
“Today, there are fabrications going on in areas of line pipes and valves. What we are doing in NNPC is to support all forms of innovations in the upstream, midstream and downstream.’’
Baru said that engineering and technology were the bedrock of oil and gas without that the country could not have achieved much today.
“What have we been doing at the NNPC? We have been trying to make sure that all the activities are domiciled in Nigeria.
“There was time when even tender documents would have to go to London to be done, but today, we have fully domesticated the engineering aspect of it,’’ he said.
On the local content plan the corporation has in place for the construction of the Ajaokuta-Abuja-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) Pipeline, Baru said “a lot of things are in place’’.
“I said engineering is part of it, so no doubt when you come to the procurement of the project, the main input in that project is in the line pipes.
“What we have done to drive the Nigerian content agenda is to make sure that until we fill the capacity of existing mills in Nigeria, we cannot import pipes.
“So, those who are coming in to build this pipeline will have it in mind that at the end of the day, they may have to come in with their mills to manufacture the line pipes here.
“As for the other areas of services, Nigerians are there, and majorly Nigerians construct the lines and do all the pre-commissioning and commissioning processes.’’
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On the refineries revamp and local content, Baru said the NNPC had already started training Nigerians that would eventually manage the place.
“However, the whole process of revamping the refineries involves all the facets and Nigerians have to be there.
“Service providers will be provided by Nigerians and after revamping, we expect a lot has to be done to ensure that the inputs to make it work will be provided by Nigerians.’’
He said the cost of producing a barrel of oil in Nigeria today had been reduced to 20 dollars (from 78 dollars in Aug. 2015 and 23 dollars in 2017).
“However, the target is to get to 15 dollars so that we start to save money for the Federal Government and we continue to match forward.
“What NNPC will like Nigerians to know all in all is the drive we are making to bring down cost (of producing oil).
“The more we bring down the production cost of oil and gas, the more money that comes eventually to the Federal Government and the pockets of the state and local governments.
“Those are the kind of things we are trying to do,’’ Baru said.
The week-long expo has the theme: “Fast-tracking Sustainable Development through Science and Technology’’. The expo is scheduled to end on March 9.