Dorman Long Engineering Limited says it has trained 118 Nigerians in engineering, project management and vocational skills through programmes aimed at developing local expertise for industrial projects. The company disclosed this in a statement on its role in Nigeria’s industrial development, citing training programmes conducted in 2017 and between 2021…...
Dorman Long Engineering Limited says it has trained 118 Nigerians in engineering, project management and vocational skills through programmes aimed at developing local expertise for industrial projects.
The company disclosed this in a statement on its role in Nigeria’s industrial development, citing training programmes conducted in 2017 and between 2021 and 2022.
It said 78 Nigerians were trained in Non-Destructive Testing and Project Management in 2017 through a 12-week programme sponsored by Hyundai Heavy Industries. The participants were split equally between the two disciplines.
Between August 2021 and August 2022, the company, in partnership with Shell Petroleum Development Company, trained another 40 young people from the Assa North and Ohaji South communities in Imo State.
Eight participants received professional training, while 32 underwent vocational training in areas including welding and fitting, electrical installation, scaffolding and rigging, civil engineering, information and communications technology, telecommunications and carpentry.
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The disclosure comes amid efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s local content policy by increasing the capacity of indigenous companies and developing the technical skills required to execute projects locally.
Dorman Long’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Engr. Chris Ijeli, said local participation must be supported by the ability to deliver complex engineering work to industry standards.
“Local content becomes meaningful when Nigerian companies can demonstrate the technical competence, facilities and delivery discipline required to undertake complex work. Our industry must continue to build these capabilities, develop its people and invest in the standards that allow local engineering businesses to compete effectively,” Ijeli said.
The company also said it signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Nigerian Society of Engineers in 2025 to support training, consultancy and human-capital development. The agreement includes structured training for student members and a one-year programme with stipends for graduate members.
Beyond training, Dorman Long cited its fabrication of the 1,300-metric-tonne Madu Conductor Support Platform at its facility at the Nigerian Naval Dockyard in Lagos as an example of the complex projects undertaken by indigenous engineering firms.
It also listed work on modularised separators for the Nigerian Agip Oil Company’s Irri Flow Station and asset-management services for oil and gas facilities among its operations.
Chairman of the company, Dr ‘Timi Austen-Peters, said local engineering capacity was important to retaining economic value within Nigeria.
“National development requires more than ambition; it requires the capacity to execute. When we develop engineering expertise, strengthen local manufacturing and build businesses that can undertake increasingly complex projects, we create opportunities for Nigerian talent and retain more value within the economy,” Austen-Peters said.
The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board reported that Nigerian Content in the oil and gas industry reached 56 per cent at the end of 2023, up from less than five per cent in 2010.
The board has set a target of 70 per cent Nigerian Content by 2027 under its 10-year strategic roadmap.
However, expanding local participation also requires sustained investment in technical training, infrastructure and the capacity of domestic firms to meet the quality and safety requirements of major projects.