In a shocking revelation, an industry expert, the regional manager of Africa and Middle East of Seabery, Abdennoulocalr Edouieb, yesterday, revealed that one hundred per cent of welders in Nigeria’s oil and gas steel sector are foreigners.
The expert also raises concerns about the lack of opportunities for local welders in a country with a population of over 200 million people.
Edouieb disclosed this in Abuja during a meeting with steel stakeholders in the Nigerian Institution of Mechanical Engineers (NIMechE), stressing the importance of creating a well-organised and structured sector that would not only include local specifications but also set local standards.
The expert highlighted the presence of a significant loophole in the system, as none of these foreign welders have the necessary licenses to work in the oil and gas industry to train more Nigerians to boost the steel sector.
He noted that Seabery, in partnership with Nigeria Soldamatic, is set to train Nigerians to bridge the gap between international and local welders in the steel sector.
He said: “According to Nigeria’s data, 100 per cent of welders in the oil and gas sector are from outside Nigeria, which has a population of over 200 million people.”
“So, there is a hole in the system. There is something that is not straight, something that should be fixed. We can start with modernisation and digitalisation of the system so we can reach the world standards, then we can make the regulations or the rules.”
