New innovation for technology, engineering studies debuts in Nigeria

A new space for learning and promoting technology and the practical component of engineering opened recently at the University of Lagos (UNILAG) as a well-equipped Virtual Training Room was commissioned at the Chemical and Petroleum Engineering Department of the university.

The Virtual Training Room, donated and commissioned by Amazon Energy, is part of the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) of the organisation championed by its CSR arm—the Amazon Energy Foundation (AEF). The organisation’s CSR activities cut across everything it does.

Olayinka Oluwatimehin, the organisation’s Group Chief Executive Officer, led a team from Amazon Energy to the commissioning of the virtual room which had in attendance senior members of the Faculty of Engineering, led by the Dean, Obanisola Mufutau Sadiq (a Professor), and the Head of Department, Atoke Ogunbayo (PhD).

Oluwatimehin, who earned a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the University, explained that the initiative was a demonstration of Amazon Energy’s commitment to behaving ethically and contributing to economic development.

“I realised that students need to do what they have to do in school and come out; education has given a background for us. More important for me is the need to mentor these young ones,” Oluwatimehin said.

“I want to request that you allow us, every now and again, to spend time with the students to impact them; this is what I think the industry needs to bring back,” he added.

Prior to the commissioning of the Virtual Training Room, Oluwatimehin had informed the distinguished audience about the great strides Amazon Energy had made and their vision and mission.

According to him, “Amazon Energy is an integrated energy services company today. We started out doing engineering and have since integrated our processes to include full Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) for several years.

“We started doing full engineering, procurement and construction about 8 years ago, having upgraded our management systems to enable us to do EPC work. We have been ISO-certified for engineering over 10 years ago but recently got our ISO certificate for EPC work,” he disclosed.

He recalled that, recently, they picked up an EPC job where they were flaring down 20 million cubic metres of gas, adding that they have designed and built four compressors, two ATM compressors and two LB compressors.

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“The client upgraded the scope of the work and added a 24-inch 18.5KM pipeline across the River Niger which we built in four months, and it’s already delivering gas,” he said.

To demonstrate how the Training Room works, the Managing Director/Chief Operating Officer, Amazon Energy, Chinedu Okpareke, an engineer, who watched history being made via virtual participation, addressed the audience.

“We have launched this Virtual Training Room, but like we do in Amazon Engineering as an engineering company, we render services for the creation of facilities that will add value to the companies we work with. So, now that we have created this facility, my prayer is that the university will put it to good use,” Okpareke pleaded.

Continuing, he assured, “it is one thing to implement and it is another thing to maintain. I will ask the head of our corporate social responsibility foundation to ensure that the maintenance of this facility is included in the budget of our organization.”

He said that the Virtual Training Room was available to all Chemical and Petroleum Engineering students, which would help increase their access to information, thereby improving their technical skills.

The Dean of the faculty, Sadiq, assured the Virtual Training Room would serve them well and would be put to very good use for the education of the students.

On her part, Ogunibayo, the Head of the Department, noted that “Amazon Energy surpassed our expectations.”

Amazon Energy prides itself on ‘Partnering Creatively’ as according to the founder, “we meet your energy needs as a leader in the provision of innovative integrated energy services, primarily to the power and oil & gas sectors. We also have strategic interests in downstream trading and shipping.”

Oluwatimehin noted that whether it is subsea, surface and concept development or decommissioning, their all-round technical expertise and strong partnerships provide energy companies the racetrack to success.

“Our history of engineering excellence even in the most challenging environments, combined with our approach steeped in deep local knowledge delivers great results for our clients and stakeholders,” he said.

He revealed that their strategy was ‘In Pace And Ahead With Technology’ noting that technology was constantly transforming their industry in ways and speed never experienced before.

He noted that the demands this placed on the oil and gas industry were the need to put the environment first, produce energy in more efficient and cost-effective ways, and meet the ever-rising energy demands.

“Wherever technology turns, we shall be there to take advantage to deliver innovation that translates into great results for our clients; that is the makeup of the Amazon Energy DNA,” he said.

With a vision ‘to be Africa’s Premier Energy Services provider’ and a mission ‘to provide our clients with the highest quality of efficiently delivered services to satisfy’ coupled with their project objectives, Amazon Energy seeks to exceed their expectations, putting their clients first always.

The organisation also has core values that are encapsulated in ‘ExQCIT’ through which they execute to quality standards providing creative solutions with integrity and teamwork.

Execution enables them to deliver to the right standard. With Quality, whatever service they deliver, it’s not just about finishing it; it’s about delivering to standard. “Quality of project execution is what we are known for in the market,” the Group CEO SAID.

Through Creativity, the organization thinks outside the box in providing creative solutions to industry challenges and, according to Oluwatimehin, “we never see problems; we see challenges.”

With Integrity, the company keeps its word just as Teamwork enables the staff to work internally as a team and demonstrate the same in working with their external partners.