Jonathan Eze
Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical has so far awarded $368 million contracts to 120 local contractors as part of its contribution to supporting the Nigeria content development initiative.
The Group Executive Director, Strategy, Portfolio Development and Capital Projects, Dangote Industries Limited, Mr. Devakumar Edwin, who made this disclosure during the tour of the Dangote Refinery by members of Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) and Nigeria Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), in Lagos, said there are several Nigerian content opportunities in the company’s refinery and petrochemical project.
He noted that the refinery would lead to significant skills transfer and technology acquisition opportunities in the country.
He said the group embarked on a landmark integrated refinery and petrochemical project regarded as the largest industrial complex in the history of Africa, which was expected to take Nigeria to new heights through the transformation of the economy.
According to him, the company was already in partnership with the Lagos State Government and Siemens in the skills development of the local community for employment at the construction site.
“We have already trained and employed 250 artisans,” he added.
He disclosed the company’s intention to train 900 Nigerian engineers in India.
“The company has completed the overseas training of first and second batches of Nigerian engineers and are being acclimatised at site. The third batch left for India classroom training for one month, on the job training for one year and working in real time with experts in the industry every day,” he added.
He said that company has so far employed 3,580 Nigerian personnel on the site.
“This excludes employment by the various contractors and sub-contractors at the site,” he added.
Edwin, disclosed that the company, in partnership with the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), commenced training for 200 youths in its host communities as part of its corporate social responsibility initiatives.
Speaking on the progress made so far on the refinery project, Edwin disclosed that the company had imported world’s largest reactor regenerator and well as a crude column, which was equivalent to 30-storied building weighing about 100 fully loaded trucks.
According to him, the refinery would ensure local supply of petroleum products is guaranteed as well as the availability of petrochemical feedstock (Poly-propylene & Polyethylene), which would be enough for the Nigerian market as well as neighbouring countries.
