President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to promoting indigenous engineering firms and unlocking Nigeria’s gas resources to boost electricity supply, industrial growth, job creation and export earnings.
The President stated this on Thursday while receiving the Founder and Chairman of Lee Engineering Group, Chief Dr Leemon Ikpea, CON, at the State House, Abuja, following the indigenous firm’s construction of two compressor stations designed to enable the Escravos–Lagos Pipeline System (ELPS) to operate at its full capacity of 2.3 billion standard cubic feet of gas per day.
PBAT said the achievement demonstrated the growing capacity of Nigerian companies to execute complex engineering projects, stressing that his administration’s Nigeria First policy would prioritise local expertise, manufacturing and employment opportunities.
He urged international oil companies operating in Nigeria to give competent indigenous firms greater participation in major energy projects.
The two midline compressor stations, being constructed by Lee Engineering under an Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contract in Edo State, are expected to increase operating pressure and enable the pipeline to deliver its expanded capacity. The ELPS II expansion raised the pipeline’s designed capacity from 1.1 billion to 2.3 billion standard cubic feet of gas daily.
According to the President, the project would strengthen gas supply to power plants and industries along the pipeline corridor while supporting additional deliveries to neighbouring West African countries through the West African Gas Pipeline.
The development is also expected to create opportunities for increased export earnings and strengthen Nigeria’s position in the regional energy market.
PBAT emphasised that the Nigeria First policy must translate into more contracts for capable Nigerian companies, increased use of locally manufactured equipment and the creation of skilled jobs.
He also stated his administration’s 2024 executive orders and presidential directives on local content compliance, contracting costs and approval timelines as measures designed to attract investment, reduce delays and expand opportunities for indigenous businesses.
In his remarks, Ikpea commended the President’s commitment to local content development, disclosing that Lee Engineering’s fabrication yard in Warri, Delta State, was manufacturing some components for the compressor stations.
Engineer Ikpea said the facility was equipped with advanced fabrication technology and reflected the growing ability of Nigerian firms to deliver projects previously dominated by foreign contractors.
The Lee Engineering chairman added that indigenous companies had invested substantially in modern equipment, technology and skilled personnel, enabling them to undertake increasingly complex engineering, procurement and construction projects.
He noted that greater participation by local firms would retain more jobs, technical expertise and economic value within the country.