The Nation Newspaper

Tag: LFTZ

  • Ambode: why Lagos is investing in Lekki Free Trade Zone

    •We plan to make Lagos destination of choice for businesses

    lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode yesterday explained why the government and the private sector are making huge investments in the Lekki Free Trade Zone (LFTZ).

    They are targeted at making the state the destination of choice for businesses in Africa, the governor said yesterday in a statement by his spokesman Habib Haruna.

    According to the statement, Ambode spoke when he inspected ongoing projects in the area in the company of foremost industrialists Alhaji Aliko Dangote and Mr. Femi Otedola.

    Ambode said the investments and the infrastructural renewal in the Lekki-Epe axis simultaneously ongoing were geared to prepare the state for industrial revolution taking place in Nigeria and by extension in the West African sub-region.

    The governor was quoted as saying: “We have just inspected the ongoing jetty project being done by Alhaji Aliko Dangote.

    “You are all well aware that we flagged off the construction of Lekki Deep Sea Port some few weeks ago. But, more importantly, this jetty is being done by the Dangote Group to more or less facilitate the movement of their heavy duty machinery to the petrochemical plant and other projects they are doing in this Lekki Free Trade Zone.”

    Reiterating the commitment of the state to encourage and support in doing what is right for the economy, Ambode said that no efforts would be spared in creating an investment-friendly environment in the Centre of Excellent.

    He said: “What we are doing more importantly, as a government, is to continue to encourage the Dangote Group to do what is right for this country and for us to join hands together and collaborate to really show that Lagos is the next destination for the industrial revolution that is taking place in Nigeria.

    “We are very happy to be doing this with him because we know that with the kind of infrastructure that we are providing around Lagos and the kind of infrastructure he is also providing, this place should be the next destination for anybody that is interested in investing in Nigeria.”

    Dangote said that the combined projects under construction at the Lekki Free Trade Zone were the largest anywhere in the world.

    The President of the Dangote Group said it was important for the right message about the axis to be communicated to the people to appreciate its impact on the economy.

    He said: “What is happening here is the largest project anywhere in the world today and this visit is just to show the governor the industrial jetty that we have built including the water breaker which is 900 meters which is almost like about a mile.

    “This is to show what we have done in terms of bringing in our cargo to build the refinery. We have done quite a lot in terms of water protection and also it is environmentally friendly and this is what we have shown the governor.

    “This is just showing that this place is going to really open for business and we are looking for a lot of infrastructure to be built and this place will be the next destination for any investment in Nigeria.”

    Commerce, Industry & Cooperatives Commissioner Mrs. Olayinka Oladunjoye said the jetty, when operational next month, would facilitate the shipment of equipment to rev up the projects within the LFTZ.

     

     

  • Ambode pledges $60m for Lekki Free Zone development

    Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, on Friday said about $60million would be pumped into the ongoing development of the Lekki Free Trade Zone (LFTZ) within the next six months.

    The governor, who spoke when he met with stakeholders at the Zone, assured that he remains committed to addressing the challenges and ensuring the project is actualised.

    “I want to assure that our financial commitment to LFTZ will be improved in 2017, that is, we will quickly clear our outstanding counterpart funding for the Zone.

    “In essence, we expect that in the next six months, we should be having an investment of over $60 million. I believe that when we invest our share of the fund and China Africa Lekki Investment Limited (CALIL) does, it will bring a major development for the Zone,” he said.

    The governor said putting the fund at the Zone at a time Nigeria was gradually easing its way out of recession would not only improve infrastructure and boosts development, but will also help attracts more investors to the Zone.

    He said over $6billion has been invested in the LFTZ in the last few years, with Dangote Group providing a lion share of about $4billion.

    Ambode said: “Over $6 billion has been invested in the Zone in the last few years with Dangote share in the lump sum at $4 billion and we have a land space of over 16,000 hectares of which just a portion of it is activated.

    “We are all aware of the investments by Dangote Group and the China Africa Lekki Investment Limited (CALIL). I mean what they had done as it concerns the partnership they signed with the Lagos State Government. And this partnership made the company own 60 percent while Lagos owns 40 percent.”

    The governor also assured that work would commence on the Lekki Deep Sea Port next month, saying it was also a critical infrastructure that would attract more investors into the Zone and ensure return on investment.

     

     

  • Ambode receives report on Lekki FTZ crisis  

    Ambode receives report on Lekki FTZ crisis  

    Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode Wednesday received a report of the five-man Tribunal of Inquiry set up to investigate the civil unrest in Ibeju-Lekki area of the State on October 12, 2015 which led to the murder of the Managing Director of Lekki Worldwide Investment Limited, Alhaji Tajudeen Disu.

    Governor Ambode had on October 22 last year, inaugurated the Tribunal chaired by a retired Lagos State High Court Judge, Hon. Justice Adesuyi Olateru-Olagbegi, with the mandate to inquire into the origin, factors and circumstances leading to the breach of peace, as well as make recommendations to government based on the findings.

    While describing the Lekki Free Trade Zone (LFTZ) as an important project to the economy of the State because of its strategic importance to the job creation drive of his administration, the Governor said he was prepared to do everything to ensure its success.

    The Governor therefore vowed that any issue concerning the success of the project would be given the attention it deserves.

    According to him: “The Report of the Tribunal has been submitted today (Wednesday) and the State Government will give serious consideration to the recommendations of the Tribunal and take decisions to ensure that such an incident does not recur.

    “Let me assure members of the public and investors alike that this Government will always uphold the Rule of Law and continue to provide a conducive atmosphere for businesses to thrive,” he said.

    Governor Ambode also commended members of the Tribunal for diligently carrying out the assignment within the time frame given, and expressed hope that they would be willing and ready to serve the State in future when called upon.

    Earlier, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Adeniji Kazeem, said it was noteworthy that the Tribunal had the inaugural sitting on November 16, 2015 and completed the assignment with the forty-five days given to it.

    Kazeem said the civil disturbances which led to Disu’s killing in the Okunraye Community had slowed down the development of the LFTZ, and that the Tribunal was set up as part of efforts to ensure safety of lives and property, prevent recurrence and enhance the economic wellbeing of the State.

    In his remarks, Justice Olateru-Olagbegi said the Tribunal received a total of 22 memoranda and 33 witness statements, including those from eminent Nigerians.

    He added that the Tribunal made a total of 24 recommendations which covered many issues including the question of who pulled the trigger that killed Disu, as well as the remote and immediate causes of the civil unrest.

    Justice Olateru-Olagbegi also said that the Tribunal recommended the measures to adopt in forestalling a recurrence as well as other miscellaneous matters incidental to the unrest, adding that there was no majority or minority report, but just one team report of the Tribunal.

    “From what was presented to us, from what we saw with our own eyes, our view is that Lekki Free Trade Zone has vast potential to transform the economic landscape of Lagos State in terms of generating massive employment, creation of wealth, generating revenue and so on.

    “Our findings reveal that the transformation would be on a scale that is hitherto unparalleled in Africa,” Justice Olateru-Olagbegi said.

     

     

  • 85,000 jobs coming in Dangote Refinery

    85,000 jobs coming in Dangote Refinery

    The proposed $9 billion Dangote Refinery in Lagos is expected to create 85,000 jobs for skilled and unskilled workers, reports TOBA AGBOOLA.

    Despite having three refineries, Nigeria still finds it difficult to meet the domestic needs for petrol and other products. The refineries with an installed capacity to process 445,000 barrels per day (bpd) are not working at optimum capacity.

    Against this background, the proposed $9 billion Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical Company in Lekki Free Trade Zone (LFTZ), Lagos, is expected to help refine products to bridge the gap in local needs, conserve foreign exchange and create jobs.

    The Dangote Group of Companies is promising to train over 8,000 engineers to run the refinery. It says on completion, the project will create no fewer than 85,000 direct and indirect jobs.

    Since it is a complex business, it is expected to open up other jobs in construction, management, engineering, and administrative duties.

    These jobs can be broken into pure engineering and journeyman.

    Engineering refers to disciplines requiring formal education. In the journeyman category, workers do not usually need a degree. They begin as a trainee and work their way up to a site supervisor that oversees a project.

    Journeymen are contractors hired by construction companies which are for contracted by refineries construction-related projects, such as repairs and major turnarounds.

    Other available job openings are oil refinery foreman, refinery general foreman, and oil refinery site supervisor.

    Welders, electricians, tilers, aluminium doors/windows fitters, building and construction workers will also not be left out. There are other workers who maintain the refinery and do the work that is required to keep the refinery running.

    These positions can include maintenance personnel, cooks and catering staff, truck and heavy equipment drivers, mechanics and other. Gardeners and sweepers will also be needed to keep the refinery surroundings as clean as possible.

    A top official of LFTZ who will not want his name in print, said the zone has been split into an oil and gas logistic park, light and heavy industrial and manufacturing section, media centre and urban residential section.

    The official added that for the zone to be developed quickly, as expected by the initiator, calls are being made for the development of a meaningful partnership, to build a modern international airport and sea –port, that will serve the zone, and become the aviation and maritime hub of the sub-region.

    It was also gathered that real estate companies would be given a role to play in the development of the zone. The LFTZ will showcase opportunities for private companies in the oil and gas manufacturing, food processing, hospitality and leisure sectors, banking and financial service sector would be expected to develop a 21st century financial centre at the zone.

    According to President of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Nigeria spends about $30 billion yearly on importation of petroleum products, promising that when the project is finally completed, it will transform the country from being a net importer of petroleum products to a net exporter of the products. Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) or diesel, Aviation Turbine Kerosene (ATK) and other by-products of petroelum refining such as poly-propylene and fertiliser will be in adequate supply.

    Speaking on the Project, the General Secretary, National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUTGTWN), Issa Aremu, said with a projected daily production output of 400,000 barrels, the same capacity of the four government-owned refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna, operating at less than 30 per cent of installed capacities, the bold initiative by the Dangote Group is a giant stride in re-industrialising Nigeria in particular and Africa in general.

    He said the project will create employment opportunities for many Nigerians and set the country on the pedestal of industrialisation.

    The National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, (NUPENG) agrees that the proposed refinery/petro-chemical and fertiliser complex is a huge job generating venture. The workers have called on other private investors, including the multinational oil companies to borrow a leaf from Dangote Group by establishing refineries in the country to create jobs and save the huge foreign exchange dissipated yearly on fuel importation.

    The oil workers recalled that years back, the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo gave licences to about 18 indigenous firms to refine crude oil, lamenting that about a decade after, none of them has being able build the a refinery plant.

  • LFTZ: $9b Dangote refinery to create thousands of jobs

    LFTZ: $9b Dangote refinery to create thousands of jobs

    Hope has risen for many youths as the proposed $9 billion Dangote Refinery will generate thousands of jobs, not only in Lagos, but throughout the country. TOBA AGBOOLA reports.

     

    • 8,000 engineers to be train

     

    THE Lagos State Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), at the Lekki Free Trade Zone (LFTZ), Lagos introduced the Dangote Group of Companies President and the arrowhead of the proposed $9 billion Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical Company in the zone, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, to the host communities. This signaled the take-off of the multi-billion naira investment there.

    Hope has risen for many youths as the new investment is expected to generate thousands of jobs, not only in Lagos, but throughout the country.

    Dangote Group of Companies is set to train over 8,000 engineers. The project, when completed, would provide direct and indirect jobs for over 85,000 Nigerians.

    The plan is to make the country self-reliant in petrochemical and petroleum products, as well as make it an industrial giant through the Lekki Free Trade Zone (LFTZ). Another is to stop the importation of petroleum products by 2016.

    At the meeting, Fashala declared: “Lekki Free Trade Zone is beginning to take shape. The master plan is being realised; investors are trouping in. Tank farms and major refineries are springing up to service the demands of the country and make room for export. The refineries create a major selling point and release of the opportunities that lie ahead in this zone; create opportunities for the local people and the potential for Lagos and the Nigerian economy.”

    According to Dangote, Nigeria spends about $30 billion annually on importation of petroleum products.

    He said the project planned by his group would make Nigeria a net exporter of petroleum products, including diesel and aviation fuel, as well as poly-propylene and fertiliser. He said the project on completion would create massive employment opportunities.

    “Now, Nigeria is going to be taken out of the list of countries that import petroleum products. We will produce 20 million metric tonnes which is equivalent to what Nigeria consumes currently.

    “Without good government policies, there is no way the private sector can invest in Nigeria, because we are not Father Christmas. The policies have to be right,” he said.

    Speaking on the Project, the General Secretary, National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUTGTWN), Issa Aremu, said with a projected daily production output of 400,000 barrels, the same capacity of the four Nigerian government-owned refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna, operating at less than 30 per cent of installed capacities, the bold initiative by the Dangote Group is a giant stride at re-industrialising Nigeria in particular and Africa in general.

    His words: “African organised Labour and working people are excited about the bold corporate decision of the Dangote Group, the African conglomerate, and for blazing the trail in re-industrialising Africa through an unprecedented investment of $9 billion in oil refinery and petrochemical complex in Nigeria.

    “Millions of private sector workers organised in national and global unions in Africa identify with the investment, the singular patriotism and pan-Africanism of the President and Chief Executive Officer, Dangote Group of Industries, Alhaji Aliko Dangote.

    “Labour is excited that Dangote Group is changing the narrative of the continent from that of resource curse to resource beneficiation, value addition and mass employment through industrialisation and internal articulation of African economy. Industrialisation is for Nigeria if it must be part of the leading economies of the world, get millions of youth to work out of violence and crime and above all, out of poverty.

    “We commend Dangote for working the talk that a shift is needed; that natural resources of Africa should be for the welfare of all Africans, not the profits of a few, mostly foreign capitalists. This refinery will definitely decrease Nigeria’s scandalous unacceptable dependence on oil imports.

    The National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, (NUPENG) in a statement declared delight over the proposed refinery/petro-chemical and fertiliser complex, saying the venture is bound to partly address the unemployment problem and also end the current massive importation of petroleum products into country. The workers have equally called on other private investors including the multinational oil companies to do the same.

    The statement said: “We all know how up to 18 firms that were granted licences to establish refineries under the Obasanjo administration, till now, have failed, refused or neglected to make use of the licence by establishing refineries in the country.

    “Dangote refinery may just be able to make the difference. When it starts operating in 2016, it is expected to become a major foreign exchange earner in the export of refined petroleum products in the country with additional thousands of jobs. For the over 170 million Nigerian people, who have continued to suffer for what they have in abundance, there is a beam of hope. Nigerians must be seen to be better off from the rich natural resources of the nation. We cannot continue to watch a few players, with foreign capitalist interest at the expense of national interests, continue business as usual. To be sure, it is not the violent agitations in the Niger Delta that is being advocated here, but the need for genuine economic participation in the oil and gas sector. Dangote Refinery has set the pace.

    “We need to develop efficient local capacity in such a leading sector of our national economy. To this end, the government must make the right policies to attract the right investors. The Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) should also be passed into law to provide the enabling regulatory and legal framework towards ensuring competitiveness, transparency and the best international practices in the petroleum industry.

    “It is our hope that the Federal government will provide the enabling environment that will ensure the competitiveness of such private refineries in the country. Effective regulation of the oil and gas sector and provision of improved road infrastructure for efficient haulage and distribution across the country will enhance performance and delivery. And of course, the government must ensure that there is improved power supply in the country to enable the efficient operations of these refineries. We cannot afford to create more museum relics from plants working at 30 per cent capacity”.

    A top official of LFTZ who will not want his name in print, said the zone has been split into an oil and gas logistic park, light and heavy industrial and manufacturing section, media centre and urban residential section.

    The official added that for the zone to be developed quickly, as expected by the initiator, calls are being made for the development of a meaningful partnership, to build a modern international airport and sea –port, that will serve the zone, and become the aviation and maritime hub of the sub-region.

    It was also gathered that real estate companies would be given a role to play in the development of the zone. The LFTZ will showcase opportunities for private companies in the oil and gas manufacturing, food processing, hospitality and leisure sectors, banking and financial service sector would be expected to develop a 21st century financial centre at the zone.