This article by Anayo Korie was originally published in All Africa on June 2, 2014.
Kaztec Engineering, a subsidiary of Chrome Group, has completed phase one of its Engineering Procurement and Completion (EPC) integrated oil and gas project Located on Snake Island in Lagos and plans to begin phase two next month.
The project contains fabrication yard, oil and gas training, pipe mill, pipe coating, and a dry-dock base, as well as a power plant, and will create a lot of jobs and expertise for Nigerians, it was learnt.
Chrome Group's Head Communications and Business Development, Dr Edwin Ndukwe, told **Daily independent** at the just held Offshore Technology Conference in Houston, Texas that Kaztec is "a 100 per cent indigenous engineering, procurement, construction, installation, commission and Management (EPCICM) Company, servicing all onshore, offshore oil and gas services in the country and cross sub-Sahara Africa
"We have three contracts ongoing. The snake Island project is being done with Addax Petroleum, We are doing another with Shell. We have extensive experience in the oil gas industry and with the Nigeria Content Law, which is critical to the development of indigenous capacity and capability; we are positioned to create value for Nigerians and the economy.
"We have a lot of young people from Nigeria working in the field. Currently we have 75 engineers, 500 skilled labour on Snake Island project in Lagos and we are looking at creating 20,000 jobs by 2016. The project is massive, located on 524 hectares of land and we have developed 68 hectares currently, laid foundation for training institute, fabrication yard, pipe mill, pipe coating, a drydock base. We are working toward equipping Nigerians, bringing people back into the workforce, developing and keeping the economy moving forward. We have just completed phase one of the entire process and about to begin phase two. Phase two will involve setting up the facility for pipe mill and pipe coating." He said
Speaking on the development of skils and human capital he said, "we are developing skill sets within the Nigerian content which is tied to the program of the Federal Government's local content. We are equipping welders, riggers, scaffolders, painters and people who work in electrical and electronics segments. We bring this team of people especially those that don't have the skill sets, equip and employ them, a development that is critical in the dynamics of Nigerian economy today," he added.
Commenting also, consultant to Chrome Group, Dr Njideka Kelley, said: "Kaztec and the Chrome Group under the leadership of our Chairman, Sir Emeka Offor, have exhibited ingenuity in the oil and gas industry. As a 100 per cent indigenous company with the local content, what we are doing is to ensure that we meet a hundred per cent of what that law entails and Kaztec has been able to do that with what we are showcasing at the Snake Island and all the branches within the Group.
"With ingenuity, creativity and innovation that is going on within the Group, we will continue to enhance that capability and ensure that Nigerians are first clicks in the job market. With what we have, we have been able to harness and bring in more Nigerians from the Diaspora coming home to tap into what is going in Nigeria," she added.
She said the Local Content Act stipulates a time line for expatriates to transfer technology and expertise to Nigerians and we are meeting that. By the regulation of the Act, the expatriates working with us will hand over to Nigerians within stipulated period.
