Africa’s first deepwater stimulation theatre debuts in Nigeria

The first deepwater simulation theatre (DST) in Africa located in Port Harcourt, Nigeria is billed to be commissioned by Diezani Allison-Madueke, minister of petroleum resources.

The theatre, which was built by TOLMANN Allied Services Company Ltd, an offshore safety training company in the oil and gas sector will be commissioned on April 14, 2014, according to a statement made available to BusinessDay.

Emmanuel Onyekwena, president of Deepwater Survival Trainers Association of Nigeria (DSTAN) in the statement, said the oil and gas industry had witnessed tremendous growth, attributing the successful construction of the DST, which is ready for use, to the opportunities created by the oil and gas reforms.

Onyekwena, who is also the managing director and chief executive officer of TOLMANN Allied Services Company Ltd, said the local content law has enabled more Nigerians to access oil and gas contracts.

“The major development that the industry has continued to celebrate is the Local Content Law, which is empowering Nigerians. Today, Nigerians are given the right of first refusal; they are considered first for jobs in the industry.”

“Imagine if you are coming to the industry to do business, you must comply with the Nigerian Content Policy. This means that beyond just appointing Nigerians to be ‘paper directors’ as was the case before now, when you have to ensure that they have visible stakes in the business. Another great point about this is the fact that the policy opens window for Nigerians to be trained to acquire competence in areas they don’t have the technical know-how,” he continued.

First of its kind in Africa, the theatre will be commissioned under the chairmanship of Alison-Madueke, April 14, at Trans Amadi Industrial Layout, Port Harcourt.

FEMI ASU