The Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) National executive members led by President Engr. Adekunle Mokuolu, paid a courtesy visit to the Group Managing Director, Dr. Maikanti Baru, of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in Abuja.
During the visit, Engr. Mokuolu, said there is the need for NNPC to work closely with the NSE and other stakeholders to salvage important national projects like the Ajaokuta Steel Company and success of Local Content Development. He premised this on the observation that the Corporation has highly competent and experienced engineers with impeccable track records of project delivery in its fold and expressed optimism that their talent pool can as well be deployed to the national development in other capacities.
Engr Mokuolu said NNPC and the entire oil industry stood to benefit greatly from the speedy completion of the Ajaokuta Steel Company as it would reduce dependence on imported steel for the manufacture of pipes and other hardware required in the industry.
Further, he also commended the GMD for entrenching transparency and accountability through the regular publication of NNPC’s monthly financial and operation report as well as restoring normalcy to the downstream sector through regular and uninterrupted supply of petroleum products. He also praised some of the recent activities of the corporation such as effort at revamping of the refineries, signing of NLNG Train 7 contract, improvement of staff welfare, as well as being a resolute promoter of Nigerian Content Development and Innovation.
Engr Mokuolu them praised the GMD for representing the engineering profession creditably. He went further to assure Engr. Dr. Baru of the NSE’s full support while urging all Engineers in NNPC to continue to support him to ensure collective success.
The NSE President extended a special invitation to the NNPC Boss to attend the 2018 National Engineering Conference holding in Kaduna, between 26-30 November, 2018 as well as the registered engineers in the Corporation.
In his response, the NNPC boss said: “NNPC is a heavily engineering-based organisation with all disciplines of the profession practiced in the various Divisions of the organisation. Therefore, to have the President of the Nigerian Society of Engineers visit us today is a huge motivation for me and all our Engineers in NNPC.”
Thanking the NSE President for his complimentary remarks, he added: “I didn’t know we have done so much in NNPC. To hear that the little we do is being seen, recognized and even documented as you have done, my President, is quite humbling and it only spurs us to do more.”
Engr. Baru acknowledged that the drive to achieve a 100 percent local content in NNPC’s operations is like second nature to him and his team. He said they have taken it as a national call since as far back as early year 2000 when the Corporation started developing its guidelines for achieving Nigerian Content, long before the public debate and advocacy started.
Dr. Baru reiterated that the NNPC saw the development of local content as a national call; agreeing that the revival of projects like the Ajaokuta Steel Company would go a long way in accelerating and deepening the local content policy.
He said his management placed high premium on accountability and transparency as that was the surest way of averting failure and attracting investment.
The two bodies then pledged to work together in leveraging on their respective expertise to revive projects critical to the nation’s economic development.
Others in attendance with NSE President is Engr. M. B. Shehu, FNSE, Past President of NSE and Past President of the Federation of African Engineering Organizations (FAEO) was also in the delegation.