The Nation Newspaper

Tag: production

  • Expert: Mechanisation key to increase food production

    Increased mechanisation of farms will enable Nigeria to build  a functional agriculture and food system capable of addressing  malnutrition and lifting  millions out of poverty, the Commercial Manager, Tractor & Implements, Dizengoff Nigeria, Damisa Enahoro, has said.

    At present, agricultural mechanisation in the country stands at less than 30 per cent, a position lower than that of most of the leading agricultural countries.

    Enahoro observed that there was significant disparity in relative productivity and performance across the farming sector. This, he attributed, to inconsistent levels of mechanisation.

    According to him, agricultural mechanisation can make a real difference and create opportunities for economic growth in rural areas.

    To this end, Dizengoff Nigeria is on a nationwide campaign to promote agricultural mechanisation to improve the country’s agricultural productivity.

    Accompanying this drive is intense personnel training on agricultural mechanisation.

    He said use of machines would increase agricultural productivity and enhance quality along the value chain, demanding that farmers will be trained on the use of equipment which would help modernise the agriculture sector.

    He said agribusiness companies have great potential to provide solutions through the adoption of technologies and practices and make better use of machines.

    As science and technology change the face of agriculture, he maintained that his organisation is in the vanguard of agricultural technologies, pioneering new approaches to food and farming systems.

    Enahoro said: “Dizengoff, through its Massey Ferguson brand of tractors, is committed to providing high-quality machinery and appropriate technology to suit all types of farming operations in Nigeria.”

    He  further assured farmers: ‘’Dizengoff is truly a full-line supplier of farm equipment, providing solutions to farmers no matter what their farm size or type of operation is.”

  • Cement production to resume in Ebonyi

    Cement production will soon come alive in Ebonyi State, it has been said.

    A deed of understanding and terms of settlement between NIGERCEM and representatives of the four host communities – Nkalagu, Nkalaha, Umuhuali, Amaezu and the Ebonyi State Government has been signed.

    With the signing of the pact in Abakaliki, the legal battles that had in the past affected the reopening of the once foremost indigenous cement production firm have been put to rest.

    The immediate past administration led by Chief Martin Elechi, had consistently closed the door for an out of court settlement, against Dr. Cletus Ibeto, who re-acquired the firm from Eastern Bulkcem and  tried to revamp the cement factory which was popularly known as NIGERCEM.

    In 2012, for instance, the Elechi administration warned IBETO GROUP against what it called illegal entry into the premises of NigerCem premises, saying its ownership was a subject of dispute in the courts.

    But an elated Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi; Ibeto and the SSA to the Governor on Cement Production, Prince Sunday Ugwuocha, at the event described the signing of the MoU as a milestone towards the revitalisation of the company.

    Governor Umahi, who said he had in line with the popular demand of the host communities promised to allow Ibeto revamp the firm, noted that the journey to its realisation was not an easy one.

    He said, “When we were campaigning under divine mandate platform, the only request that the communities  made was that Ibeto  should be allowed to come and revamp NIGERCEM and we did promise  them that  that was going to be done.”

    Umahi, who thanked the Cement Production Implementation Committee, set up by his administration, for doing a good job, assured Ebonyi people that their 10% equity ownership of NIGERCEM was still intact.

    “Let me announce to Ebonyi people that our 10% equity with NIGERCEM is still alive,” he assured as he described the land of Ebonyi as a land made up of limestone, gold, frankincense, silver, lead, zink, etc.

    He added, “My prayers all the time is for the land of Ebonyi to vomit all the limestone, the gold, the frankincense, silver, the bauxite, lead, zink that the land has swallowed, and it has to started with Ibeto.

    The core investor, Dr. Ibeto, praised Umahi’s ruggedness, saying Ebonyians owed him (governor) for ensuring that the journey to revamp NigerCem started on a good footing.

    He thanked governor Umahi for creating the enabling environment for the takeoff of NIGERCEM.

    The chairman, Cement Implementation Committee, Chief Fidelis Nwankwo, in his opening remarks, had said the signing of the deeds marked the realisation of an age long struggle by the IBETO GROUP to revamp NigerCem.

     

  • Porsche announces production launch of 718 Cayman

    Porsche announces production launch of 718 Cayman

    Assembly of the new Porsche 718 Cayman is underway in Germany with the comprehensively redeveloped mid-engine sport coupé now boasting more power, increased torque, a higher top speed and a stylish redesign.

    Ahead of its arrival, the new entry-level model for Porsche is being produced at the brand’s historic headquarters in Zuffenhausen.

    The milestone announcement comes soon after the introduction of the newly designated and revolutionised 718 Boxster of which the 718 Cayman features the same new four-cylinder flat engines with turbocharging. The result is a 25 hp increase in both the 718 Cayman and 718 Cayman S when compared to their predecessors.

    “The production launch of the Cayman successor models was executed to our full satisfaction,” says Albrecht Reimold, Executive Board Member for Production and Logistics at Porsche AG.

    “After the successful launches of the new 911 at the end of last year and of the new 718 Boxster this year, the team in Zuffenhausen also handled this production launch impeccably. This is further proof that our employees work with perfection and passion on a daily basis to enable a very special Porsche experience for our customers,” Reimold said.

     

    The entry-level 718 Cayman is driven by a newly developed, 2-litre, 300 hp engine with innovative turbocharging. The substantial torque increase of 35 per cent in the new engine of the base model promises driving fun and agility with a maximum of up to 380 Newton metres. Featuring a turbocharger with variable turbine geometry (VTG), the 718 Cayman S boasts 2.5 litres of engine displacement and 350 hp, with maximum torque at 420 Newton metres.

    When equipped with Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK) and Sport Chrono Package, the 718 Cayman accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in 4.7 seconds, whilst the S-version achieves the same in 4.2 seconds. The top speed for the base model is 275 km/h; its sibling tops out at 285km/h.

    The comprehensive rework of the new model has been well documented with a new distinctive design giving a more muscular appearance. Meanwhile, inside the cockpit, upgraded elements create greater sophistication alongside state-of-the-art technology for an enhanced driving experience.

    The new 718 Cayman and 718 Cayman S are available for order. The market launch begins on September 24.

  • Total expects increased production from $10b investments

    Total Upstream Nigeria Limited is targeting improved crude production with its $10 billion investments in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.

    The firm, in a report titled: The Total Upstream companies in Nigeria at a glance, made available to The Nation, said it has invested $10 billion between 2010 and 2015.

    The report encapsulates Total’s activities in Nigeria in the last 49 years (1966 -2015).

    The report noted that the firm has produced 2.3billion barrels of crude oil in Nigeria in 49 years, adding that it expects more crude production from its oil mining leases (OMLs) in the country.

    It said: “Egina Field located in OML 130 where Total and its partners such as Sapetro, Petrobras, and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) are undertaking ultra-deep offshore venture, crude production is expected to reach a plateau of 200,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd).

    Akpo field oil mining lease (OML) 130 is where Total began its first deep offshore project in 2009. Its floating production vessel has a storage capacity of two million barrels of stabilised liquid hydrocarbon.”

    The report added that gas flaring has reduced by 75 per cent in Total owned oil field in OML 58 and 10 per cent in OML 102. The projects, which constitute the OML 58 include Ogbogu Flow Station (OFS); Field Logistics Base (FLB); Obite Treatment Centre (OTC); Obite, Ubeta, Rumuji (OUR) pipeline and the Northern Option Pipeline (NOPL).

    In OML 58 upgrade projects, the report said Total is targeting 70 per cent local content. “The upgrade projects were essentially designed to boost gas supply for both industrial and domestic use; and increase gas delivery to the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited (NLNG) plants at Bonny Island, Rivers State. The Obite-Ubeta Rumuji (OUR) pipeline construction has a Nigerian content target of 78 per cent,” the report added.

    Total also established a contractor finance support initiative in 2013 to enhance the capacity of Nigerian contractors that are executing oil and gas projects for it. The initiative has resulted in a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed with eight Nigerian banks to provide $7.8 billion for the scheme.

  • Production down to 1.67m barrels as price rises above $50

    Production down to 1.67m barrels as price rises above $50

    The Federal Government’s anticipated revenue have further been constrained by the renewed attacks on oil facilities by Niger Delta militants.

    In Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State this week, there was an attack. A section of the Tebidaba-Brass pipeline along Azuzuama- Ikienghenbiri creek in Bayelsa State that belongs to Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC), an arm of the Italian oil giant Eni, was blown up.

    The NAOC on Tuesday declared force majeure on oil exports Brass crude, the second in a month. Force majeure is a legal concept that absolves companies from liabilities of contractual obligations due to factors outside its control. ENI said its production was cut by 4,200 barrels per day.

    An attack in the area on May 18 resulted to a shutdown of some 1,000 barrels bringing a cumulative production loss to 5,200 barrels of the oil firm’s share of crude output

    Shell and ExxonMobil had earlier halted production temporarily following leaks and vandalism of oil pipelines. Shell declared force majeure after continued attacks on its Nembe Creek Trunk Line (NCTL).

    Shell stated that the force majeure was invoked following a leak at the Nembe creek, which may result into more unavoidable accidents. It added that repairs on the 90-kilometre trunk line were being carried out by AITEO Eastern Exploration and Production Company. It is ot known when the repair will be concluded.

    ExxonMobil also declared temporarily force majeure on its Qua Iboe crude grade because of obstructions along a bridge leading to its Forcados terminal, which has been resolved.

    Eni spokesperson confirmed the developments in a short e-mail. It said: “I can confirm the attack to the Ogbaimbiri – Tebidaba pipeline, with 4,200 barrels per day of production affected. I can confirm that force majeure has been placed on Brass oil exports from May 22, 2016.”

     Nigeria’s oil production levels have been severely attacked by the activity of militants with the resurgence of militancy costing the nation as much as 800,000 barrels of crude oil per day.

    The continual attacks prompted President Muhammadu Buhari to order enhanced security in the region. Nigeria relies on oil sales for 70 percent of government revenue but income has been hit by the global fall in oil prices since mid-2014 and increased militancy.

    Buhari has begun programmes and policies that would in the next few years make Nigeria independent of oil revenues for survival. Vice President Yemi Osinbajo also said production is now at 1.67 million barrels per day (bpd) against a budgeted 2.2 million bpd, which was further confirmed by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr Ibe Kachikwu, during a special session with members of the House of Representatives.

    The monthly allocation from the Federation Account for April shared on Wednesday among the tiers of government fell by N18.2 billion.

    The Federal Government, states and local governments, shared N281.500 billion for April campared to N299.747 billion shared for March.

  • Firm to begin sanitary wares production

    CDK Integrated Industries is to start the production of  porcelain tiles and sanitary wares from its factories in Shagamu, Ogun State, its Chief Executive Officer, Dr Khater Massaad, has said.

    Massaad, said the firm’s products would global standards that will stem the importation of ceramic tiles and sanitary wares. He regretted that Nigeria imports over 65 million square meters of tiles yearly when it has local capacity.

    The firm’s goal is to be the hub of ceramic tiles and sanitary wares in West Africa and “we have started the journey of building two world class factories, a great place to work and a place Nigerians will be proud to be associated with as we are also environmentally friendly in the nature of our construction”.

    He said to achieve world class status the firm is training Nigerians and investing in equipment that will produce high quality products of ceramic tiles and sanitary wares.

    “With one million square meters of land in Shagamu, we are set for the world to experience something new and wonderful from Nigeria. He promised that he will produce high quality products that will surpass what is available in Europe.  We are already set to meet international standards and our experience is global,” he said.

    On capacity, Massaad, said the factory will be producing five hundred thousand pieces of several models of European designs collections, with the best technology, best raw materials, highest standard, world class fittings and soft closing hinges among others annually.

    He said: “We want to be a respected partner in the business across the globe; with the aim that everyone that comes in contact with the CDK Integrated Industries brand of ceramics and sanitary wares will be glad to do so.

    Nigeria is the biggest economy in Africa, and it is providing a great platform for us to establish factories in a country with almost all the raw materials needed in the manufacturing of tiles and sanitary wares.”

  • Technology boosting cassava production

    Technology boosting cassava production

    To respond to rising food and nutrition needs, some apps, online portals and cell phone-based programmes have been developed to help small-scale farmers enhance their skills and yields, DANIEL ESSIET reports. 

    Pelumi  Aribisala  is one of the young technology savvy  farmers in Oyo State. He plants vitamin A cassava and other staple crops.  Sometimes, after harvest, he counts his bundle and takes out his cell phone. He calls a number to find out the latest prices of cassava and maize.  From the answer he gets, Aribisala knows how much he will earn from his bags of cassava and maize. Subsequently, he can  decide whether to sell them near the farm or the town where he can make more money.

    Aribisala is one of the hundreds of farmers across the country trying to take advantage of technology to boost food production. A growing number of them have entered the agribusiness sector, looking to use technology to gain new commercial opportunities. Information communications technology (ICT) has made agric attractive to the youth.

    Drawn to the sector early, Aribisala is among the young cassava growers living modern lifestyles from farming, thanks to technology  which helps them to use data  to do business and increase incomes.

    Access to technology enables  him and others  to enjoy higher profits when food prices rise  and  to manage their farms in a sustainable manner.

    In the past, he sourced his stems from close sources. These days, with technology, he can buy stems from a farmer in Ondo, especially if he is looking for Vitamin A cassava stem which is sought-after because of its nutritional benefits. This is possible courtesy of an e-market portal and farmers’ exchange platform provided by Harvest Plus. These enable him to find where farmers are offering quality stems across the country.  Now, not only does he know which farmer  has quality Vitamin A cassava  stems to sell,  he is able to find out areas where cassava commands higher prices.

    The platform also provides cassava farmers with an efficient and secure way to store and share information, locate, and contact suppliers and customers online. All these data can be accessed by the farmer via phone.   One of the first users of the platform were the project’s partners located across the cassava producing areas of the country. The partners help farmers to plant vitamin A cassava on their farms.

    Being introduced to these technologies, they use the interactive tools to map out and communicate with farmers they work with. Operational information relevant to the successful development of the cassava supply chain, such as seed varieties used and production data are recorded and mapped onto the platform.

    The platform also provides cassava farmers with an efficient and secure way to store and share information, locate, and contact suppliers and customers online. All these data can be accessed by the farmer via phone.   The  first users of the platform were Harvest plus’  partners located across the cassava producing areas of the country. Basically, the partners help farmers to plant vitamin A cassava on their farms.

    Being introduced to these technologies, they use the interactive tools online to post market information and  communicate with farmers  in other  areas.  Operational information relevant to the successful development of the cassava supply chain, such as seed varieties used and production data are recorded and mapped onto the platform.   One of the users  is the  Programme  Director, Development Dynamics, Dr Jude Ohanele  who  works with groups of  cassava farmers in Imo  State .

    At the start of every season, he carries out demonstration for them. He visits groups and individuals, providing seeds when plots have been correctly prepared, and offer advice and further training on different aspects of the technology and cassava cultivation.

    On the platforms,  literate farmers can log into their accounts and enter planting data for the crop, and several succession plantings. Expected and actual planting and harvesting dates and expected and actual crop yields are recorded. Planting databases for each members’ farm provide a detailed and easily retrieved record to plan from in the next growing season. Though direct user approach is encouraged,  he ensures illiterate farmers have their details correctly recorded.   On the average, the platform offers a place to share information needed to plant throughout its seasonal cycle, and a space to include the farmers in the development and wider spread of the technology. Providing tangible evidence of production success is a mobilisation point for interested farmers and for those who want to learn more, about bio fortified cassava farms.  He and many other partners are at the front line of using the platform to link farmers and suppliers.

    E-market and the farmers exchange are two of many services Harvest Plus have developed on the back of ICT, entry into Nigeria’s agriculture.  Following this, an increasing number of young Nigerians have taken up themselves to help small-scale farmers increase their skills and yields through using its  platforms.

    On the development, the  Country Manager, Harvest Plus Nigeria, Dr Paul Ilona, said  agriculture was  not  growing because of lack of  access to information. This  is a major gap in the market. By providing clear, relevant, and usable data that can be tailored to farmers’ needs, he said the platform has plugged the information gap, helping the sector deliver on its potential.

    According to him, farmers need data services that promote or leverage the products they sell. A cassava stem producing company, for example, he explained, might find on the platform an opportunity to sell to a farmer having stems shortage. At the end, a profitable transaction is strucked, the farmer gets his higher-yielding cassava stems while the company makes its money.

    Right now, stem multiplication has opened opportunities for employment, income generation and improved livelihoods for cassava farmers. Consequently, some enterprising small-scale farmers have engaged themselves in the business of cassava stem multiplication and marketing, providing employment and income to several of their community members.

    By  powering the portal, he said the group  has created a profitable market for farmers in the business.

    One of the ways to do so is to attract more  farmers into the cassava  value chain through online registration. Through the platforms, he said the farmers are able to connect buyers in any part of the country.

    Besides farmers, researchers and donors are able to aggregate information from the analysis of data on cassava consumption from the market from the platforms.

    Ilona noted that the organisation is ready to work alongside others within the sector to support easier and more frequent interchange of farm data. The particular focus has been on information that supports cassava agriculture industries.

    According to him, it was imperative for farmers to take advantage of the technological tools and services that could help them address their problems and perk up their profits.

    Driving these initiatives, he said, is the micronutrient deficiency that continues to undermine public health and prosperity.

    To address the problem, HarvestPlus and its partners have used conventional crop breeding techniques to develop staple food products that are rich in Vitamin A, iron, and zinc. The process, known as biofortification, targets the nutritional needs of women and young children and offers several positive health outcomes, including improved immunity and resistance to diseases.

    To help this effort, he said his organisation is working with public partners to provide innovative farmer shops, as well as agro-stewardship training for those distributing biofortified  cassava products.

    Research shows that the e-market provides valuable data to farmers and the platform also connects farmers with suppliers.  The best evidence for the efficacy of the portal was farmer’s general willingness to use the platform. Before the introduction of the platform farmers learned about prices from buyers and middlemen.  Qualitative data from the platform helps farmers in the early stages of planning their crops. Later in the process when farmers want to sell their crops they use the platform because it quickly provides information.  A major advantage of the platform is the timeliness of the information that it provides. Cassava farmers are confident they could find a place to sell their harvest.

    For farmers, there has been a need to create more efficient supply chains for small and medium-size producers in order to feed growing private demand for cassava.

    With an efficient value chain, farmers identify opportunities and constraints within existing markets, allowing them to invest strategically to stimulate the market and increase incomes in remote and vulnerable areas.

    One way they achieve this is through a data driven platform to support agribusiness development.  This is because it creates new opportunities for income-generation, foster well-informed, profitable investments in this growing market and facilitates collaborations between investors, agribusinesses, farmers and suppliers.

    So far, improved visibility and consolidation of reliable information provided by the platform has helped to raise awareness of unexploited opportunities in the sector, driving investment by reducing cost and risk. In line with this, new technologies have emerged that are  helping farmers to manage their farms in a sustainable way.

  • National Assembly, NESREA, MAN, others collaborate on goods production designs

    National Assembly, NESREA, MAN, others collaborate on goods production designs

    The National Environmental Standards and Enforcement Agency (NESREA) is collaborating with the National Assembly and Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) on the implementation of the Extended Producer Responsibility Programme (EPR).

    EPR is designed to promote the integration of environmental costs of goods throughout their life cycles.

    It will make the manufacturers of products responsible for the entire life-cycle of the commodity, especially for their take-back recycling and final disposal.

    It also means that a producer of an article should be able to know about the life cycle of such product, how it is used and how it can be recycled. The programme process would give manufacturers responsibility to know the final stage of any given product manufactured.

    NESREA’s Director-General Mr. Lawrence Anukam, confirmed that the agency has developed guidelines for  the programme.

    Expressing appreciation to the NASS for showing a lot of political will in making sure that the EPR takes off, he said the agency was working with MAN to make sure that the EPR takes off smoothly.

    “It is a very good programme and I call on all Nigerians to support it. It is going to create wealth; it is going to make our environment cleaner, and at the same time it is going to make the industry, the manufacturer of that product to know exactly how it can create new designs that can last longer and create less problems on the environment. So, it is a win-win situation for all involved in it,” Anukam said.

    Stating that the collaboration would strengthen and enhance the implementation of the programme, the NESREA helmsman called on the private sector to play a key role in the implementation of the programme.

    “It is necessary that EPR programme comes on board and it needs to be advanced. It is part of the regulations and the law is already there. The programme is an initiative that will control waste, it is also an initiative that will generate waste and we all know that waste is wealth,’’ Anukam added.

  • ARMTI launches village initiative to boost rural food production

    ARMTI launches village initiative to boost rural food production

    The Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute (ARMTI), Ilorin, Kwara State, has launched its Village Alive Development Initiative (VADI) to promote agriculture investments that have far-reaching impact on individuals and communities.

    At the launch  at  Omomere Oja in Ilorin South Local Government, and Amayo in Ifelodun Local Government Areas,  in Kwara State, ARMTI’s Acting Executive Director Mr Johnson Njoku said the initiative was part of  efforts to implement the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aimed at increasing the capacities of rural dwellers to explore  available  agric resources and technologies to satisfy the demands of the growing population for food and other agricultural commodities.

    To this end, he said priority must be given to maintaining and improving the capacity of agricultural lands to support an expanding population.

    The main tools of VADI, he stated, are income diversification and improved management of inputs. Its success,  he added, would depend largely on the support and participation of rural people. Njoku said that under the VADI programme, loans given to each community would be repaid to their respective co-operatives. He expressed happiness that the intervention of the agency in turning around the fortunes of the local farmers had been yielding fruitful results.

    The Kwara State governor represented by his special assistant on agriculture, Mr Anu Ibiwoye, lauded the effort of the Federal Government through ARMTI, adding that the programme is in line with the effort of the state government to encourage local farmers in the state.

    A farmer, Idowu Magaji, was full of appreciation and described the training and loan provision as an impetus that would bring out the best in them and also make them self-reliant.

    He expressed hope that the initiative will improve farm production and farming systems through diversification of farm employment and infrastructure development.

    At the launch of the VADI in Kwara State, the people of Omomere Oja in Ilorin South Local Government and Amayo in Ifelodun Local Government Area were full of appreciation.

    Officials of ARMTI) handling the programme was welcomed with songs and dances.

    The scheme involves giving out N1 million  loan to each rural community to empower farmers to grow different crops and also teach them how to invest their profit judiciously.

  • Monopoly adds to cost of oil production, says Nigerdock chief

    Monopoly adds to cost of oil production, says Nigerdock chief

    The monopoly in the oil and gas logistics and supply services sector is largely responsible for high cost of oil production, a stakeholder has said. It also adds an extra $3-$5 to per barrel of crude produced, Nigerdock and Jagal Group Chair, Anwar Jamarkani said.

    He spoke when the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Col. Hameed Ali (rtd) , Customs Deputy Comptroller-General and other senior officers of the service paid a working visit to the Nigerdock and Snake Island Integrated Free Zone on Snake Island, Lagos.

    According to Jamarkani, the dominant monopoly in the Nigerian oil and gas logistics and supply services has existed for over 20 years, sabotaging the national economy, conspiring and working against any potential competitors and against Snake Island Integrated Free Zone (SIIFZ).

    He noted that the monopoly has consistently and aggressively used various government institutions to compromise, maintain and entrench its monopoly with impunity. Regrettably, attempts according to him, have been made in times past to also use the customs. “We, therefore, appreciate the fact that President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration is aggressively doing away with such impunity,” he said, urging the Customs chief to encourage investors by creating a level play ground for them.

    Jamarkani said: “The net effects of the monopoly’s actions are numerous. This monopoly adds extra cost of $3-$5 per barrel produced in Nigeria, which translates to over $1.5 billion per annum. This monopoly is a  toll gate. They have forced the oil and gas industry and the nation into capitulation, and driven away investments from Nigeria.

    “The oil and gas supply and logistics service in Nigeria is the most expensive in the world because of this entrenched monopoly. This monopoly seriously damages the international reputation of Nigeria. The monopoly has over the last 20 years used a non-existent law to justify the assertion and false claim that “all oil and gas cargo must first be discharged at their ports of preference.”

    He continued: “The monopoly has consistently used this non-existent law to coerce the industry and service providers into dosing their bidding and thereby undermining the Nigerian economy. If this law indeed exists, the Federal Government would not have encouraged other critical players like SIIFZ to make huge investment in the country. SIIFZ and Nigerdock are open for competitive business and we are determined to bring down your operational costs by at least 30 per cent.

    “In line with the Federal Government’s vision for free and fair competition, there is no room for the continued monopoly in Nigeria as it is sabotaging the industry and the national interest.”

    Jamarkani said SIIFZ and Nigerdock have created more than 6000 direct jobs, delivered landmark projects for Shell, Chevron, ExxonMobil, Total, Hyundai and Samsung, as well as first fabrication for Total/Samsung Egina floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel. “The facility has also trained over 6000 people for the oil industry and delivered over 27, 000 training programmes. It is the largest shipyard facility in West Africa,” he added.

    The Customs chief, while addressing the workers, said: “No business can grow without committed workers. You have added great value to this company. On behalf of the Federal Government, I congratulate you and appreciate what you are doing. I assure you that whatever we can do as a government to support this company, we will do it. There is need to encourage companies like this to create more employment and assure you of government’s readiness to provide the enabling environment.”

    He added that with the presence of a company like SIIFZ, Nigeria will not have to carry its vessels and machineries to Korea for repair, painting and maintenance.