Chiamaka Ozulumba reports that for Falcon Corporation, it’s been 25 years of driving quality and excellence in the energy and gas sector
Penultimate week, Falcon Corporation celebrated its 25 years of driving quality and excellence in the Nigerian energy and gas sector recently in Lagos.
The grand event was attended by a former Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr. Okechukwu Enelamah.
Other guests at the auspicious event were top industry stakeholders within the Nigerian energy and gas sector, policy makers, business partners, investors, customers, the Board and Management of Falcon Corporation and staff.
The Falcon 25thAnniversary event tagged, ‘A Night of Inspiration’, came in the wake of her 25th year anniversary of operations and reflected, on one hand, Falcon’s remarkable growth and achievements over the past two and a half decades. On the other hand, it was a reinforcement of Falcon’s transformation, future strategic direction, national impact and goals for the future.
An ISO 9001:2015 Quality certified company, Falcon Corporation provides a range of services in engineering, procurement and natural gas which include pipeline construction, fabrications, and structural works, and technical procurement, to the major international oil companies and National oil companies.
Falcon Corporation is also the licensed operator and the Local Distribution Company (LDC) responsible for the build-up, operation, and management of the Ikorodu Natural Gas Franchise. Through its extensive network of pipes and delivery infrastructure, Falcon delivers Natural Gas to industries for use as fuel or feedstock in their various applications and processes; continually expanding its distribution network to benefit other un-served customers and regions.
Falcon delivered the first gas in November 2006 and continues to expand her network of gas delivery pipelines and metering infrastructure within the zone and beyond.
In his opening address at the ceremony to mark the 25th Anniversary of Falcon, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Professor Joe Ezigbo said, “Today marks the continuation of our long tradition of excellence, quality and unparalleled service delivery to our customers. Our organisation was founded on the principles of integrity and innovation, with a vision to make a tangible impact and elevate the profile of private entrepreneurial development in Nigeria.
“We started in Port Harcourt from our humble beginning as an oil service company. Our change of operational base, scope of service and corporate name notwithstanding, our sound moral character, spirit of enterprise and excellence, resilience and commitment to creating long-term sustainable value has never wavered.”
Continuing in his speech, “As we mark our 25 years of commitment to developing an indigenous great Nigerian brand, our spirit of enterprise, excellence and sound ethics has continued to pervade the very fabric of our business to date,” Ezigbo added.
Speaking on the organisation’s visionary plan for the future, “Falcon aims at being a strong player across the value chain of Nigeria energy sector. It is strategically positioned to create value-adding jobs for our ever-growing population of vibrant youths. From inception, we envisioned Falcon as it is today, we right now see a Falcon 25 years from now which will outlive its founders and soar high, launching into the international business landscape, comparable to global brands like Coca-Cola, Mercedes-Benz and Nike,” he enthused.
In her welcome remark, Executive Director and Co-founder, Falcon Corporation Limited, Mrs. Audrey Joe-Ezigbo re-echoed the challenges of the early days and emphasised the doggedness and determination that kept the organisation going over the years.
“The story of Falcon has been a journey of translating vision and passion into success. It is a journey of obligation to building Nigeria by Nigerians through intentionality, resilience, and dedication against all odds. We started Falcon with very little, but with sufficient zeal, an undying dream and a sense of duty to establish an institution of repute, we have built a formidable organisation of repute and we remain committed to leaving a lasting legacy to the future generation,” she stated.
Joe-Ezigbo, who also serves as the President of the Nigerian Gas Association (NGA), the umbrella association for professionals and businesses in the Nigerian gas industry emphasised on Falcon’s remarkable contribution to the development of Local content in Nigeria. “Falcon Corporation is fully committed to the local content development aspirations of our nation.
“From inception, we have operated with a 100 per cent Nigerian workforce and to date maintain over 68 per cent spend on local products/services. We consider our local experience to be a critical asset for the growth of our industry in a sustainable manner and a notable contribution by Falcon Corporation to national development. We are determined to continue to develop our competencies and capabilities even further and where appropriate, we are open to the creation of strategic alliances and joint ventures that are designed to enable us to achieve our growth targets.
“As we celebrate this milestone 25 years, we are rededicating ourselves to that commitment as part of our contribution to nation building and national development,” she remarked.
Mrs. Benedickter Molokwu, a director of Falcon Corporation, expressed her thoughts on the Falcon’s sound governance structure, one of the strong pillars on which the success of the organisation was built.
“Falcon’s committment to sound corporate governance in the conduct of business is apparent. The organisation projects a transparent and clear corporate governance structure which meets the highest international standards.
“There is confidence in the ability of its Board of Directors and management to carry out their duties within a well-defined corporate governance framework. Falcon has put in place a full Corporate Governance Code (CGC) which is in conformity with local and international codes of best practices in corporate governance with demonstrable impact in the company’s sound strategic business management and performance.”
The Falcon 25thanniversary ceremony was held amidst pomp and pageantry. Guests were thrilled with entertainment and music by popular bands. To make the event even more memorable were live performances by the youth group and prodigy Explicit Band whose remarkable performances kept guests enthralled forming a part of the experiences that made the 25th anniversary event uplifting and inspiring.
According to Ben Akabueze, a renown Nigerian economist and the current Director General of the Budget office for the Federal Republic of Nigeria who was one of the numerous distinguished guests at the event, “the Falcon 25th anniversary event lived up to its bill of “A Night of Inspiration”.
With a fusion of highly inspiring musical entertainment, grandiose performances by the very young, dynamic and reputable explicit band laced with highly motivating speeches by the founders and directors of Falcon.
This organisation has demonstrated itself as a great inspiration for other visionary Nigerian business owners who in one way or the other are contributing to the remarkable growth of the nation’s economy”
Falcon Corporation commenced operations in 1994 under the trade name of Falcon Petroleum Limited. The company name was changed in 2014 following a rebranding exercise in the wake of the anniversary of its 20th year of operations in particular and also to reflect its current multi-faceted areas of operation.
As a conglomerate, Falcon Corporation holds a diverse portfolio in oil and gas, energy, and infrastructure. It maintains a singular focus to deliver value consistently in all its areas of operation.
