The Federal Government through the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has commissioned the Amal Technologies Gas Leak Detection Device and Printed Circuit Board Manufacturing Facility in Abuja, the nation’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The key players in the oil and gas sector described the commissioning as a breakthrough in the research and development landscape of the Nigerian oil and gas industry.
A statement today, December 21, from the NCDMB, said that the commissioning was performed by the Minister of Solid Minerals, Dele Aleke, the Minister of State for Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande and the Executive Secretary, NCDMB, Engineer Felix Omatsola Ogbe.
It said that the project was initiated by Amal Technologies Ltd and it received financial and institutional support from the NCDMB, then under the leadership of the immediate past Executive Secretary, Engineer Simbi Kesiye Wabote, who spearheaded the Research and Development roadmap as a key element of Nigerian Content development in the oil and gas industry.
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, who spoke at the event, was quoted as describing the commissioning as a significant landmark in the nation’s quest to promote a research culture through the nurturing of innovation-driven startup companies, adding that it represents a breakthrough in local manufacturing of electronic circuitry and devices.
The minister, who was represented by the Director of the Upstream in the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Engineer Kamoru Busari, said that Amal Technologies is one of the proposals that have benefited from the NCDMB Research and Innovation intervention. He said that the innovation adopted the Internet of Things (IOT) technology to introduce into the market a device that generates a short message system (SMS) and callson the phones of homeowners in the event of a gas leak.
He said that the facility also has the capability for Printed Circuit Board (PCB) manufacturing.
The Minister said that the deployment of the gas leak detection device provided a significant safety tool that will accelerate the adoption of gas as a preferred source of energy for homes, transportation, and industry.
He pointed out that the job creation potential of Amal Technologies is critical to the creation of a circular economy and aligns with President’s 8-point agenda for economic recovery.
In a keynote address, the Executive Secretary NCDMB, Engineer Felix Omatsola Ogbe said that the smart gas leak detector research is just a proposal submitted to the Board in 2018.
“The idea was nurtured through the NCDMB incubation process hosted in the Board’s Technology Innovation and Incubation Center (TIIC).
“The recurring menace of gas leaks and explosions leading to heavy losses in human lives, property damage, and pollution of the environment is the problem statement that the device seeks to address.”
According to the Executive Secretary, Nigeria’s development priorities are trending towards gas-based industrialization with an exponential increase in gas utilization, hence it had become compelling to deploy safety and preventive tools such as the Amal smart gas leak detection to ensure the safety of lives and properties as the citizens embrace gas usage.
On PCB Manufacturing, the NCDMB boss said that electronics accounted for the largest online spending in Nigeria in 2022 and the Amal technology facility will provide the springboard for the replacement of imported PCBs with locally produced PCBs, in line with the Board’s vision to be the catalyst for the industrialization of the Nigerian economy and its linkage sectors.
“The facility will also generate employment opportunities, pay due taxes, and provide a critical platform for instrumentation and electronics-related Research and development.”
On why the Board invested in Amal Technologies, he explained that NCDMB had developed a strategic roadmap and focussed on the establishment of dedicated funds to support Research, the inauguration of the Nigerian Content Research Council & Technical Advisory Board, and the establishment of Research centers of Excellence among others. The need to focus on research commercialization, he added, is amplified in the NCDMB Technology Innovation and Incubation policy, which created the TIIC inside the Nigerian Content Towers Yenagoa.
The Chief Executive Officer of Amal Technologies, Shehu Tijani Abdullahi recalled how he secured the Board’s support for the project without having any prior relationship with any member of the agency’s management.  He affirmed that “the NCDMB is not about having connections or knowing someone at the top. It is about a team of people that are dedicated to the success and progress of local content in Nigeria. Their firmness and dedication to local content continue to give me hope for the country of Nigeria.”
He noted that Amal Technologies had in three years, secured two patents and disrupted traditional approaches to research and development, expressing hope that with the full support of NCDMB, the company would make lasting contributions to various sectors of the economy, including oil and gas, power, agriculture, and beyond.
Beyond producing the Gas Detection device, the chief executive confirmed that the “facility has the capacity to produce over two million Advanced Smart Electric Meters— a significant contribution to the federal government’s National Mass Metering Program (NMMP). This initiative aligns with the company’s commitment to address the current challenges in electrical metering in Nigeria and supporting the government’s efforts to ensure a reliable and efficient power supply.”
He said that the facility holds immense potential for other sectors, including automobile manufacturing, medical advancements, telecommunications, agriculture, and more.
In his comments, the Director, Monitoring and Evaluation at the NCDMB, Alhaji Abdulmalik Halilu remarked that the Board subjected the innovation to detailed regulatory processes and proof-of-concept checks before deciding to take equity in the project.
He said that the business case showed that the facility had the potential to create over 400 jobs, from the conception to production stages and its annual turnover prospects is about N9.3bn.
He confirmed that the project’s structure is sustainable and consistent, hinting that the Board soon would be unveiling similar innovations that it had incubated.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd (NNPCL) has set a production target of two million barrels of crude oil per day in 2024.
The Chairman of the NNPCL Board, Pius Akinyelure, announced this today, December 18, and advocated a comprehensive overhaul of the national security architecture to address losses incurred from oil theft and pipeline vandalism.
He spoke after the official inauguration of the board and management team for the NNPCL by President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential villa in Abuja.
He said: ”We have assured Mr. President of our collective effort to ensure turn around in the oil and gas industry in Nigeria.
“To make it a company we will all be proud of, a company that will help sustain the economy and create some level of prosperity for Nigerians.
“It is not an easy task, but we know we have the challenge of oil stealing, the vandalisation of our pipelines. Our commitment is to produce at the rate of two million barrels per day anytime from next year.
“But to do this, we have to overhaul our security architecture so that the incidences of stealing vandalisation of pipelines can be reduced. And this will possibly help to build up our cash flow. And we will become a better nation.”
The Federal Government revealed that more than N4.3 trillion worth of crude oil was stolen in 7,143 pipeline vandalism cases within a period of five years.
Oil theft has drastically hampered the growth of the country’s oil production with Nigeria losing between 5 percent and 30 percent of daily production.
About 619 million barrels of crude valued at $46 billion were stolen from 2009-2020. Nigeria has continually failed to meet its daily production quota as set by the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
Recently, Nigeria’s OPEC quota was reduced from 1.742 million barrels per day to 1.38 million barrels per day. Yet, the country is still struggling to meet this quota as daily production output was 1.184 million barrels per day and 1.249 million barrels per day in May and June 2023 respectively.
The only female member on the board, Dr. Eunice Thomas, said that they are committed to increasing “productivity, improve the economy and sustain the environment.
“We will provide power for the people of Nigeria; we will industrialize the energy and transit from fossil fuel to more sustainable green energy.
“I am really challenged. But I would like to begin by thanking President Bola Tinubu for finding me worthy to sit on that board.
“I am aware of the challenges and his expectations of the board. I agree with the management of the NNPCL, they’ve done quite a lot so far and we will be working together with pleasure to increase productivity, improve the economy and sustain the environment,” Thomas said.
The board members inaugurated on today, December 18, include Umar Ajiya as Chief Financial Officer, Ledum Mitee, Mr. Musa Tumsa and Mr. Ghali Muhammad as Non-Executive Directors.
Other Non-Executive Directors are Professor Mustapha Aliyu, David Ogbodo and Ms. Eunice Thomas.

President Bola Tinubu has given members of the Board of the Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited a marching order on the increase in production.
He asked them to take a look at the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), and know what the pitfalls are.
“The Cabinet members and Board should decide what we can do differently for production increase, profitability, and governance. It is in your hands. I will work with you.’’
Inaugurating the Board of the company today, December 28, President
Tinubu confirmed that so far, the Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari Kolo, is doing very well, “and doing all that I know.
The President advised that corporate social responsibility should be given priority for the Niger Delta, considering the devastating effects of oil exploration and exploitation on the environment.
“It is not about us. It is about the well-being of the entire country and the lifeblood of the nation. We should care more about the environment. We will do more for security to minimise stealing and vandalisation.”
The President directed that more attention should be given to gas as Nigeria transitions to cleaner energy, adding: “We need to show that we are committed to the welfare of our country.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the Board, Chief Pius Akinyelure, commended the President for the removal of petrol subsidy, saying that the nation would have drowned in debt, but for his decisiveness.
“Our focus is to increase production. We must address the problem of stealing and pipeline vandalisation in the Niger Delta. We are aware of the efforts in the past, but we will do more.”
Source: NAN.