LADOL fabrication yard gets NASS backing as senators commend promoters

The Senate Committee on Marine Transport has pledged to exploit all necessary legislative tools in support of the oil and gas fabrication and integration yard being built at the Lagos Deep Offshore logistics base (LADOL).

The commitment was made on behalf of the National Assembly, in Lagos last week when members of the upper legislative chambers led by Ahmed Yerimah Sanni, the Committee chairman, toured the Apapa port and LADOL based in Lagos.

Speaking with newsmen after the tour, Sanni expressed delight at the state of the art yard which is currently hosting the fabrication of Africa’s largest Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) valued at over $3.8 billion.

The FPSO oil and gas platform known as Egina project is being handled on behalf of Total, by the Korean-based Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) with LADOL as the Local Content partner.

“We are highly impressed with all we have seen today and that such a project is being handled in Nigeria with indigenous company playing a major role is highly commendable and we need to encourage them in whatever legitimate ways we can,” said the Committee chairman.

According to him, National Assembly has the responsibility of making laws that would provide enabling environment for various agreements that were entered into by government and other stakeholders such as LADOL.

“We also carry out oversight functions and recommend to government on ways projects like that

of LADOL can be supported for optimum performance and to enable them achieve their goals in the overall interest of the nation’s economy. LADOL falls under this category of indigenous organisations that need supports” Sanni added.

Describing LADOL as a unique Nigerian indigenous investment, Sanni further assured management of LADOL that the Committee will channel it’s legislative activities towards ensuring that activities such as this not only survive but progress in enriching the nation’s economy.

Speaking earlier during the facility tour, Amy Jadesimi, managing director of LADOL, told the senators that the ongoing fabrication works at LADOL base had never been done anywhere else in Africa. The yard, she pointed out was built by a Nigerian contractor by name Deux Projects and it is the real Nigerian success story.

Jadesimi further disclosed that the feat was achieved despite initial scepticisms by some detractors who were vehemently opposed to having the job done in Nigeria for selfish reasons.

“Well, the fabrication yard you are seeing here today was built in one year by Deux Project-a Nigerian company and that shows you how easy it is to develop this kind of capacity and how important it is that we don’t let people try to push us off the path of development.”

Explaining further, the LADOL boss pointed out that a number of factors make the base unique. “Some facilities here are unique in Africa. The crane capacity is the highest in Africa, the two cranes you saw at the site are the second highest in the world and some of the facilities are only available here and they are up to global standard in offshore operations.”