Former President of Nigeria, Dr. Good luck Ebele Jonathan
has commended ERASKCORP Nigeria Limited for bringing the company down to
Bayelsa State maintaining that the establishment of the company will improve
the internally generated revenue of the state.
Speaking on Thursday in Yenagoa during the unveiling of the
ERASKON products, Jonathan stated that the company when operational will also
generate more employment for the people especially the locals. He advised that
the company should employ more of its staff from the host community.
Lamenting that the oil industry supposed to positively
impact on the host communities was not doing so, he narrated that the oil
industries will claim they have invested $1 billion in the local economy
meanwhile, only $50 million may have entered the local economy while the rest
would be used to import items and support industries outside Nigeria.
He said “We need to do something
about local content. We must encourage other smaller industries. When we do
that, we can create job for our people. This he said will add value to the
local economy and with this project, I pray that more companies will come to
Bayelsa State.
At the ground breaking venue where he laid the first block
for the industrial park to commence, the former president commended the host
community Gbarain, stating that in the next 10-15 years, the area will turn out
to be the most developed part of the state.
Also speaking, the executive secretary, Nigerian Content
Development and Monitoring Board, Simbi Wabote said the launching of ERASKON
Lubricant Products marks another very important milestone in the push to deepen local content and reduce
importation of products that can be can
be produced locally.
He disclosed: “Nigeria currently consumes about 250million
liters of engine oils per annum. The
in-country blending capacity has remained constant at about 150 million liters
showing a shortage of about 100million liters.
“Our decision to
enter into partnership with ERASKON Nigeria Limited is in line with our mandate
and the mutual objectives of developing local manufacturing capacity, providing
employment and increasing local content participation across the value chain in
the Nigerian oil and gas industry and its linkage sectors.
“When completed, the
production of approximately 64,000 litres per day of lubricants from the
ERASKON facility will represent one of the largest in the country churning out
more that 20million liters of lubricants in a year, enough to serve Bayelsa
State and many neighboring states.
Speaking earlier, Maxwell Oko, executive chairman of
ERASKORP Nigeria Limited said the company will focus on the production of
64,000 liters of lubricants and chemicals per day will kick start full
operation in December 2022.
#Oil&Gas
#BayelsaNews
By Preye Okah, Yenagoa