From Kenechukwu Obiajuru, Yenagoa
Chukwuemeka Igilar, Vice President of PE Energy Limited, has identified lack of business patronage and funding as major challenges facing his company and the Nigerian oil servicing industry.
Speaking at the company’s site in Rivers State during a facility tour by NCDMB media team and other journalists, Igilar emphasized that despite having world-class facilities, including a standard workshop for valve activities, the company struggles to secure contracts from operating companies in Nigeria. “We need business as a Nigerian company. If there are no businesses, how can we survive?” he asked.
Igilar expressed gratitude to the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) for its efforts to support local companies, but urged the board to do more to increase patronage and provide funding opportunities.
On local content, Igilar stated that the company sources some components locally, but many, such as bolts and nuts, are imported due to the lack of functional foundries in Nigeria and called on NCDMB to revisit reports on local capacity and support manufacturers willing to invest in the country.
Igilar appealed to international oil companies and local operators to consider the capabilities of Nigerian companies like PE Energy Limited, which has invested heavily in facilities and expertise. “We have done our part, we need patronage,” he said.
Also speaking, Mr. Aniekan Udom, Coordinator of NCDMB PE Emergy Limited appreciated the pivotal role NCDMB is playing in enhancing the capabilities of PE Energy Limited.
Udom highlighted the NCDMB’s support in building local capacity and promoting technology transfer, as mandated by the NOGICD Act. “The existence of NCDMB alone is enough support,” Udom said, citing the company’s ability to operate without foreign expertise, even during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Udom credited NCDMB’s policies and programs for enabling PE Energy Limited to sustain its business, including training local engineers and facilitating in-country manufacturing activities, and expressed gratitude for the board’s support, particularly during the construction of the company’s facility.
Regarding funding, Udom stated that while there has been no direct funding from NCDMB, the company has benefited from various projects and portfolios, such as Project 100, and has received support letters for investments and expressed optimism about securing funding support, citing positive recommendations from NCDMB.
Udom urged NCDMB to scale up its support, particularly in promoting in-country manufacturing activities, to further boost local companies like PE Energy Limited.
Obinna Ezeobi, General Manager, Corporate Communications Division, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), called for more in-depth media reporting on the oil and gas industry to educate the public on local content development and its economic impact.
Ezeobi emphasized the importance of journalists going beyond surface-level reporting to provide nuanced insights into the industry. “We want you to represent us more by communicating what we do and how local content is impacting the economy,” he said.
He urged journalists to help bridge the knowledge gap, highlighting the board’s efforts to promote local content and its benefits for Nigeria’s economy.
“We appreciate your efforts in rewriting and reporting, but we want more,” Ezeobi said. “Let’s remain partners in pursuing a better Nigeria, and let’s do much more to represent our brand and communicate our impact.”
