The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has been applauded for its steadfast commitment to the growth of local content, particularly for the support it lends to the fabrication subsector of the Nigerian oil and gas industry.
The leadership of Dorman Long Engineering Limited gave the commendation on Wednesday during a courtesy visit to the Executive Secretary of the NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe at the Nigerian Content Tower, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
The Dorman Long Engineering team was led by the company’s chairman, Dr. Timi Austen-Peters and their mission was to announce plans to celebrate the company’s 75th anniversary in Nigeria.
In his remarks, Peters underscored NCDMB’s significant contributions to the success of Dorman Long and other fabrication firms, noting that the Board ensures that international and indigenous operating oil and gas companies patronize local service companies. He acknowledged that Dorman Long is one of the biggest beneficiaries of Local Content implementation in the oil and gas industry and charged the Board to continue to deliver on its mandate.
The Dorman Long’s Chairman hinted that the position of the NCDMB Executive Secretary is very pivotal to Nigeria’s overall economic development, assuring him of the company’s support towards accomplishing his goals in office.
Speaking on the company’s 75th anniversary, Peters announced that the celebration would be kickstarted at the forthcoming 2024 Sub-Saharan Africa International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (SAIPEC), scheduled to be held between February 13-15, 2024 in Lagos.
He expressed delight that the company had continued to thrive despite the challenging operating environment and made contributions to the nation’s economy. He recalled that the company had undergone mergers and acquisitions and is currently operating in the telecommunication and agricultural sectors, in addition to the oil and gas industry.
In his comments, the Managing Director, Dorman Long Engineering, Engr. Chris Ijeli traced the history of the company from 1948, noting that the firm had delivered several iconic projects, including railway projects, UAC and PZ warehouses, and the first Niger Bridge.
He credited the then Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) for introducing Dorman Long to the Oil and Gas Industry when the firm was engaged as a subcontractor on a project.
That opportunity, he explained, led to subsequent engagement by Shell, beginning from 1994 for the delivery of pressure vessels, manifolds, and separation packages. He noted that the firm had made giant local content strides before the enactment of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act. He listed AKPO and Agbami FPSO as well as several Engineering, Procurement, and Asset Maintenance services as some other projects the firm had worked on before the NOGICD Act.
The MD confirmed that some of the technologies and capacities the company had developed in the oil and gas industry had been deployed in other key sectors of the economy such as Defence, noting that the company is partnering closely with the Nigerian Navy at the Lagos Dockyard. He further solicited the support of the Board to deepen the company’s capabilities in the oil and gas industry.
In his response, the Executive Secretary, NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe commended Dorman Long Engineering for the decades of service to the Nigerian economy and assured of the Board’s continuous support to enable further growth.
He described the company as a role model for the upcoming indigenous companies, particularly in quality-of-service delivery and resilience.
Also contributing, the Director, of Monitoring and Evaluation, NCDMB, Mr. Abdulmalik Halilu hailed Dorman Long Engineering for outliving its founding fathers and leveraging its competencies and capabilities to other sectors, describing such actions as the pathway to sustainable national development.
