FG Decries Massive Effect of Corrosion on Nigeria’s Economy

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

The Federal Government has decried the massive effect of corrosion on the nation’s oil production and economy.

Speaking at the 2023 Nigerian Corrosion Association conference (NICA) in Abuja Monday, the Minister of State for Environment, Dr. Iziaq Salako, said according to Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) over 270 million barrels of national commercial crude oil production was lost between 2016 and 2020, at an estimated revenue loss of $14.6 billion, due to corrosion, operational faults and other factors. 

Furthermore, he said, in 2021, 193 million barrels of crude oil deficit was allegedly recorded, which translated to an estimated $3.5 billion of revenue, about 10% of the country’s foreign reserves, noting that: “Corollary to revenue deficits are incidents of air and water pollution, loss of vegetation, land contamination, climate effects, manifesting in loss of livelihoods, quality of life, pollution burdens of diseases in impacted communities and huge costs of remediation and rehabilitation.”

The minister, who was represented by a Director in the Ministry, Mr. Dilichukwu Etigbue, said: “The costs associated with corrosion impacts on critical assets and associated losses are rapidly becoming unacceptable, but really hardly completely mitigatable in today’s world where sustainability is a priority. 

“Therefore, deploying appropriate eco-friendly strategies for corrosion management is not only the best sustainable infrastructural development, but a smart investment preventing highly expensive industrial failures and accidents. 

“It also mitigates other safety hazards, linked indirectly with health, quality of environment and carbon-footprints. The cumulative benefits thereof include an increased public safety, reliable performance, maximised assets life, environmental protection and more cost‐effective operations on the long term.”

He said: “Federal Ministry of Environment places a premium on inclusive stakeholders’ participation in environmental governance,” soliciting for the support of NICA and other critical players in advancing a paradigm shift from traditional control processes with carbon and human/environmental exposure footprints, to sustainable effective, economic and environmentally friendly corrosion protection technologies/processes, in order to guarantee long-term sustainability of our national infrastructures and structures.

On the international level, he said a two-year study by the National Association of Corrosion Engineers (NACE), United States of America, estimated the corrosion cost as $2.5 trillion per year, or around 3% of global Gross Domestic Products (GDP). 

According to him, “The study, however, projected that implementing best practices in corrosion prevention could result in as much as $875 billion in savings. This claim was also corroborated by the World Corrosion Organisation (WCO).”

He stated that corrosion is also one of the major legacy challenges facing Petroleum Refineries and Chemical Process Industries globally, some of which have recorded incidental accidents leading to destruction of infrastructures and loss of personnel, adding that: “Among these are the Caribbean Petroleum Refining Tank Explosion and Fire Puerto Rico, 2009; Chevron Refinery in Richmond, California (2012); and Bhopal Pesticide Plant, India incident of 1984, one of the world’s largest industrial disasters, resulting in the ill-fated death of nearly 8,000 people.”

The Minister of Transportation, Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola, said that prevention and control of corrosion cannot be undertaken by the government alone, especially in the face of emerging innovations and advances in technological developments in addressing this phenomenon.

Oyetola, who was represented by a Director in the Ministry, Mr. Shogo Omotayo, said: “The significance of this conference in terms of addressing the critical issue of corrosion in building environmentally resilient infrastructures and the need to maintain their integrity over their service life couldn’t have come at a better time as the Nigerian Government intensifies its commitments to expanding public infrastructures and utilities for improved economic and social development.

“This conference will produce workable and implementable outcomes to address the challenges of corrosion in the development of public infrastructures and utilities in all sectors for the nation’s benefit.”

On his part, the President, Nigerian Corrosion Association, Mr Ese Ochoga, said the conference was aimed at educating and enlightening the society on the best practices in physical assets protection management in improving the GDP, as well as public and environmental safety.

“The theme of our conference this year is an inclusive one, as it hones on the impact of corrosion on the public infrastructure and utilities, which is common to us all,” he said.

Ochoga noted that the conference would also help present the unique perspective of the materials and corrosion specialist insights and recommendations in managing and maintaining public infrastructure.

He said: “We are here today at the Annual Conference of the Nigerian Corrosion Association. Importantly, the corrosion is addressing the issue of building sustainable infrastructure by ensuring that there is corrosion resistant or resilient to corrosion. Corrosion comes from environmental sources and as the environment varies, the corrosion impact also varies some lower and some higher, the corrosion professional is always monitoring this to ensure that infrastructure or structures are viewed to be able to withstand the peculiar environment that is bound to a counter because of his service, that’s why we’re here and the conference is going to address this issue.”

The Nigerian Corrosion Association established in 1988 by industry practitioners and academicians, provides opportunities for excelling in the fields of corrosion science and engineering practices.

It also assesses and proffers solutions to the interwoven adverse effects of the environment and corrosion on modern civilization.

‘Corrosion Control of Public Infrastructures and Utilities’ was the theme of the 2023 Annual National Conference. 

It was organised by the Nigerian Corrosion Association (NICA) and hosted by Federal Ministry of Environment.