Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, commissioned a multi-million-dollar pipe threading and valve assembly facility built by Bell Oil & Gas at the Lekki Free Trade Zone, Lagos.
Governor Sanwo-Olu, who was represented at the event by the Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, Mrs. Folashade Ambrose-Medebem, commended Bell Oil & Gas for investing in the Lekki Free Trade Zone and creating employment opportunities in the state.
Restating the vision for establishing the free trade zone was being realized through investments like Bell Oil & Gas, the governor promised that his administration will continue to provide critical infrastructure that would make it easy for investors to set up their projects and flourish in the free zone.
Speaking at the event, the NCDMB Executive Secretary, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, hailed Bell Oil & Gas for its foresight and commitment to enhancing Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, noting that the company had invested in a key infrastructure that will meet a growing demand in the industry.
Ogbe stated that Bell Oil & Gas’ areas of operations, which include piping and threading as well as valves manufacturing, are critical components in the oil and gas industry, adding that “the need for quality piping and threading services cannot be overstated.” He assured that “with major projects such as the Dangote Refinery, the Total Energies Ubeta gas project, AKK Gas Pipeline, and the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline, the demand for these services continues to grow. Bell Oil & Gas is positioning itself well to meet this demand, reducing our dependence on imported materials and services and ensuring that we retain the economic benefits within our borders.”
The Executive Secretary also lauded Bell Oil & Gas for honoring its commitment to the Nigerian Content Equipment Certificate (NCEC) issued by NCDMB a few years ago. The certificate is issued to original equipment manufacturers that commit to and/or set up a factory for manufacturing or assembling of components utilized in the Nigerian oil and gas industry. Such companies get priority considerations during the contracting process in the sector.
Thanking the Board for driving local companies towards real capacity building, the Chief Executive Officer, Bell Oil & Gas, Dr. Kayode Thomas, in his welcome address, described the facility as “yet another evidence that the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act of 2010 is working.”
Thomas recalled that the firm recorded its first major success in the deepwater space when it won the contract for the installation of Composite Pipes on the Bonga FPSO with Shell in 2004. The company, he noted, won contracts and delivered major line pipe and OCTG contracts with several key players in the industry including Shell, Chevron, ExxonMobil, Total, Agip, Addax, Afren and Seplat, between 2005 and 2010.
Thomas revealed that the facility was started during the COVID-19 pandemic and the operations are currently being handled by Nigerians, despite being the first of its kind in Lagos State. He added that the plant will provide “50,000 tons of capacity for OCTG threading, machining, repairs and the production of pup joints, cross overs and other accessories for drilling operations.”
On how the company secured funding, Thomas disclosed that the project was developed without any loan or facility from any local bank. He lamented the reluctance of commercial banks to support the investment. He beckoned on banks to support such oil and gas projects, without which it will be difficult to grow at the required pace.
Dwelling further on funding, the CEO pleaded with NCDMB to review the structure of the Nigerian Content Intervention Fund (NCIF) and make it more accessible to local companies.