In a move to boost Nigeria's maritime and energy sectors, Naval Dockyard Limited has signed a partnership agreement with Dateline Energy Services for the construction of 4,000 metric tons Liquefied Petroleum Gas, LPG, Coastal Gas Transportation Barge.
The barge is expected to be built at the Naval Dockyard Limited, NDL, in Victoria Island, Lagos.
Speaking at the official signing of the agreement between both parties, last week the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, described the occasion as a milestone for the Nigerian Navy, noting that the execution of the project would generate several positive outcomes of the seamless collaboration between the public and private sectors.
Represented by the Chief Executive Officer, NDL, Rear Admiral Koage Hamzat, Ogalla stated that it would also spur the growth of Research and Development, indigenous vessel construction and local content development towards building sustainable paths to progress.
He said further, "This contract agreement for the construction of the Coastal Gas Transportation Barge is a product of the Nigerian Navy's vigorous pursuit of willing and able strategic partners across government agencies and private sector such as Dateline Energy Services Limited.
"The commendable bold steps of Naval Dockyard and Dateline Energy Services in venturing into this project is likely to bring several opportunities and prospects. It is envisaged that the project would stimulate capacity building and R&D in the energy transports sector, employment and job creation across the maritime oil and gas ecosystem as well as economic growth in allied fields across the value chain.
"This marks the beginning of a project that would transform the energy sector in Nigeria and Africa. This is very vital as the nation and countries all over the world transit to Liquefied Petroleum Gas as a cleaner and more cost-efficient substitute to other forms of hydrocarbons towards mitigating the impact of Climate Change".
Being the primary maritime institution in Nigeria, Ogalla noted that the Nigerian Navy played a vital role in the defence of the nation's maritime territorial integrity and supporting other government agencies and private institutions in developing the maritime sector for economic security and national development.
In keeping with the onerous tasks, the Navy, according to him, had implemented several transformational programmes to reposition itself as a significant contributor to the Federal Government's policies and programmes geared towards improving the economy and welfare of the State and citizens.
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In pursuance of this objective, the Nigerian Navy, according to him, "has over the years, relied heavily on its logistics and maintenance outfits such as the Naval Dockyard and Naval Shipyard Limited amongst others, to provide maritime services that would engender strategic partnerships with various maritime public and private stakeholders, towards building a better and prosperous society. Some of the most recent partnerships include construction of 6 x GRP Boats for the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, berthing space for Floating Dock as well as the maintenance and repair of 3 patrol boats belonging to the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency".
In his remarks, Managing Director, Dateline Energy Services Limited, Opuwei Wilson, stated that "the brainchild of this venture is set to bridge the gap between gas producers, processing units and consumers, both domestically and internationally. One of the primary goals is to streamline the distribution of gas resources, which have predominantly been exported until now.
"The partnership seeks to establish a novel concept, focusing on efficient transportation, storage, and utilization of gas resources.
The collaboration envisions the creation of a first-of-its-kind public site for energy generation and distribution in Nigeria and Africa as a whole.
"The projected initial investment of $200 million is anticipated to yield impressive returns over the next two decades.
