President Bola Tinubu has urged international oil companies (IOCs) operating in Nigeria to give indigenous engineering firms more opportunities to execute major energy projects, citing their growing capacity to deliver complex contracts. Tinubu made the call while receiving the Founder and Chairman of Lee Engineering Group, Chief Leemon Ikpea, at…...
President Bola Tinubu has urged international oil companies (IOCs) operating in Nigeria to give indigenous engineering firms more opportunities to execute major energy projects, citing their growing capacity to deliver complex contracts.
Tinubu made the call while receiving the Founder and Chairman of Lee Engineering Group, Chief Leemon Ikpea, at the State House, Abuja, following the company’s construction of two compressor stations designed to enable the Escravos–Lagos Pipeline System to operate at its full capacity of 2.3 billion standard cubic feet of gas per day.
According to a statement by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on Thursday, October 22, Tinubu reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to the Nigeria First policy and called for greater participation by local firms in the oil and gas sector.
The statement said the President “urged international oil companies operating in the country to give competent Nigerian engineering and manufacturing firms greater opportunities to participate in major energy projects.”
Tinubu said the Nigeria First policy should translate into more contracts for capable Nigerian companies, greater use of locally manufactured equipment and the creation of skilled jobs.
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The two compressor stations, being constructed by Lee Engineering under an Engineering, Procurement and Construction contract, are located in Edo State.
Although the pipeline’s designed capacity was increased from 1.1 billion to 2.3 billion standard cubic feet of gas per day under the ELPS II expansion, the compressor stations are required to raise operating pressure and enable the system to deliver at its full capacity.
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The project is expected to improve gas transportation to power plants and industries, support increased supplies to neighbouring West African countries through the West African Gas Pipeline and generate additional export revenue.
The President also highlighted his administration’s 2024 executive orders and presidential directives on local content compliance, contracting costs and approval timelines as measures to attract investment, reduce delays and expand opportunities for Nigerian businesses.
Meanwhile, Ikpea commended Tinubu’s Nigeria First policy and disclosed that Lee Engineering’s fabrication yard in Warri, Delta State, was manufacturing some components for the compressor stations.
He said Nigerian companies had invested heavily in modern equipment, technology and skilled personnel, enabling them to undertake complex engineering, procurement and construction projects previously handled by foreign contractors.
The statement quoted the President as saying that “Nigeria First must translate into more contracts for capable Nigerian firms, greater use of locally manufactured equipment and more skilled jobs for Nigerians.”
It added that Ikpea’s company had demonstrated the capacity of indigenous engineering firms to execute major energy infrastructure projects while retaining more jobs, expertise and economic value within Nigeria.