President Muhammadu Buhari has commissioned the first made-in-Nigeria gas pipeline which has been put together at the cost of 150 US Dollars by SCC Nigeria Limited. The project is sited in Ushafa, the Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
The new ultra-modern steel pipe manufacturing mill was commissioned and the rolling out ceremony of completed NNPC gas pipelines was inaugurated today by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Babachir Lawal on behalf of the President.
Speaking at the occasion, President Buhari gave assurance that his government will continue to promote and protect all efforts targeted at achieving industrial growth and improving the socio-economic development of Nigeria.
He said that the government will continue to carry out regular review of fiscal policy measures which will safeguard local investment to the detriment of importation of products and services that are at times of very low quality.
This was even as 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.
According to President Buhari, some local companies have placed order for about 100km 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 percent 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 exchang.
“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.”
Earlier, SCC Director, Dr. Patrick Dele Cole, said that the company is committed to partner with the federal government in order to develop local industry and boost economic, human and entrepreneurial growth and sustenance in Nigeria. [myad]
