NNLG facilitates training of 180 Nigerians in ship building in South Korea

In furtherance of the local content initiative in the Nigerian oil and gas industry, the Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG), through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Bonny Gas Transport Limited (BGT), is facilitating the training of 180 young Nigerian technicians by Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) in South Korea.

The young Nigerians would be trained to acquire requisite competencies and skills in ship building, as part of Nigerian Content Development activities agreed between BGT & HHI as contained in the contract for the construction of two new LNG carriers for BGT.

Of the 180 technicians travelling to Korea for the three-month programme, the best 28 will remain to join in the construction of the six new vessels, according to a statement signed by Kudo Eresia-Eke, general manager, external relations, NLNG.

BGT in 2013 ordered six new vessels at a cost of $1.6 billion from both Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) –two (2) Ships and Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) – four (4) ships to boost its shipping capacity. As part of the agreement signed with the ship builders, 580 Nigerians will be trained in different aspects of ship building and construction in fulfilment of Nigerian Content Development for the “BGT Plus Project.”

Babs Omotowa, NNLG managing director and vice president of BGT, said: “Our commitment to Nigerianisation and Nigerian Content practice is strongly based on professionalism and competence and has enabled us groom Nigerians and companies that today compete on the world stage. Every action we take in Nigeria LNG Limited, we seek to help build a better Nigeria. That is why so many gains are riding on these contracts with HHI and SHI.

“We want to ensure the right technology skills are transferred to help develop our maritime industry and this procurement provides us a good opportunity. There are other gains but this human capacity development stands out and we are proud to be contributing to capacity development and job creation for Nigeria.”

BGT, a subsidiary of NLNG, was established in 1989, to provide shipping capacity for NLNG projects. It owns 13 of the 23 vessels in Nigeria LNG’s fleet – by far the largest in Nigeria – which deliver liquefied natural gas to customers spread across different regions of the world.

NLNG Limited is the most significant arrow-head of the Federal Government’s quest to eliminate gas flaring and derive value from the country’s 187 trillion cubic feet of proven gas reserves.

FEMI ASU