The Controller, Apapa Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, Comptroller Musa Jibrin, has commended operations at the Lagos Deep Offshore Logistics base (LADOL), saying the indigenous oil and gas services facility is in tune with global best practices in the specialized energy sector.
The commendation was made in Lagos on Thursday during an official tour of the LADOL facility in Apapa, just as the Port Manager of the Lagos Port Complex, Apapa, Hajia Aisha Ali-Ibrahim, said she would work towards enhancing mutual collaboration with the indigenous firm.
Jibrin who was recently posted to the Apapa Customs Command was accompanied on the visit to LADOL by his top management team. His visit coincided with that of the LPC Port Manager who was also accompanied by her top management officials.
The visiting teams were separately received by the Managing Director of LADOL, Dr. Amy Jadesimi.
The LADOL Free Zone is currently undertaking the fabrication of an $3.8 billion Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) oil platform which has been described as first of its kind to be incorporated anywhere in the sub-Sahara Africa.
Jadesimi who explained the specialized operations at the base to her guests pointed out that the FPSO contract otherwise called Egina Project was awarded by a consortium of Oil companies led by TOTAL, to Korea-based Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) with LADOL acting as the local content partner.
She revealed that prior to the award of the contract; two similar projects which emanated from Nigeria were undertaken abroad at higher costs with the attendant revenue and sundry economic losses to the nation because there was no shipyard in Nigeria that could adequately handle such projects, before the advent of LADOL.
“With the commencement of this Egina project here at our shipyard which was constructed in one year, Nigeria is being saved of huge capital flight, aside from the attendant job losses to expatriates who would have otherwise impacted technology transfer to Nigerians. We have over the years maintained a healthy relationship with the Nigeria Customs service and it is our desire to keep it growing” she said.
Responding, Comptroller Jibrin expressed delight at the standard of operations at the base, particularly the Egina project which he described as one of the “pride of a nation in dire need of technological growth.
“Nigeria needs to industrialize and grow in tandem with global best practices. So this facility could not have come at a better time than this. Yours is a remarkable Free Trade Zone (FTC)…and FTZs are supposed to be a place where you encourage industrialization, attract Foreign Direct Investments, as well as develop labor and create job opportunities”, he said.
According to him, the Customs Command had “every good reason to collaborate with LADOL and other similar facilities within our command”.
“We will continue to do just that. And going by what I have seen here, you measure up to every known international standards, as a true ambassador for Nigeria,” he said.
Speaking in a similar vein, LPC Apapa Port Manager, Hajia Aisha Ali-Ibrahim, commended the operations at LADOL, which she described as a ‘worthy tenant of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA)”.
According to the Port Manager, her visit to the base was part of the roles of LPC in monitoring and liaising with terminals inside the port towards evolving an enhanced collaboration with operators.
She described LADOL’s activities in the port as unique and strategic, which focuses more on heavy industrial activities, creating jobs for Nigerians.
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