The National Petroleum Investment Management Services has urged a Japanese manufacturer of offshore oil discharge hoses and marine fenders, Yokohama Rubber Company Limited, to set up a factory in the country.
Speaking at a forum on marine hoses and fenders organised by Yokohama in collaboration with WAO Global Trading Limited in Lagos on Monday, the Group General Manager, NAPIMS, Mr. Chinaka Nwogu, encouraged the Japanese (Original Equipment Manufacturer) to open production facility in Nigeria.
Nwogu, who noted that this would be in tandem with the oil and gas industry’s local content initiative, said, “We are glad that Yokohama is able to come to Nigeria to show us its marine hoses and fenders which have been used in many areas of the oil and gas industry.
“Beyond making presentations about your product, we need your physical presence in Nigeria so that we will be able to appreciate more of your capabilities while you provide technical knowledge for the manufacturing of marine hoses in Nigeria.”
Nwogu, who was represented by a NAPIMS official, who does not want his name in print, further said, “I don’t know how soon you want to make that happen but if you set up a factory in Nigeria, I can guarantee you that the market will be there for you. We want you to work with your local partner to not only be an agent but also have a strong commitment to the manufacturing of hoses locally.”
He advised that Yokohama could begin by sourcing local materials available in Nigeria for the manufacturing of marine hoses and fenders.
Experts, who gathered at the presentation, opined that local content drive would be deepened if oil and gas Original Equipment Manufacturers start establishing local factories in the country.
The President, WAO Global Trading Limited, Yokohama’s local partner, Mr. John Gbasaa, in an interview with our correspondent, said the rationale behind the forum was for Yokohama to showcase its latest technology on discharge hoses in Nigeria.