Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) has commended the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited (NLNG) for being upfront in showcasing excellence among Nigerian engineers.

President of the NSE, Margaret Oguntala, FNSE gave this commendation during her visit to Bonny Island, Rivers State between Sunday and Tuesday, May 26 and 28, 2024.

“I came to Bonny Island to pay a visit to the NLNG, the entire community and then the facilities, particularly, the Train 7.”

“We realized that Nigerian engineers are, indeed; you know we have come a long way and when people ask questions about what Nigerian engineers are doing and how they feel that Nigerian engineers are not competent, they should come here and see Nigerian engineers do wonders.

“You know, at every point in time, I found out that from the control room to the processes, they are all manned by Nigerian engineers. Mostly, I think I found 95% of Nigerian engineers.”  

“So, that is very commendable and remarkable and I had the opportunity of meeting most of them and that was a very good part I would say of my visit to Bonny Island.”

At the NLNG Industrial Area, which houses the company’s liquefaction plant and Train 7 project, the NSE President, Margaret Oguntala, FNSE, was received by the company’s Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Philip Mshelbila, PhD, where they shared ideas on how to further strengthen the relationship between NSE and NLNG.

The NSE President outlined the strategic agenda of the NSE which she said was etched on the drive for engineering excellence and professional development within the industry, praising the Nigerian engineers at NLNG for their pivotal role in operating the nation’s strategic facilities, encouraging them to unite under the NSE Bonny Branch to amplify their collective voice.

In response, Dr. Mshelbila commended the NSE for its role in uniting Nigerian Engineers and lauded their ongoing efforts to promote engineering excellence and other initiatives.

In an interview with Kristina Reports, Margaret Oguntala, FNSE disclosed that the Nigerian Society of Engineers will soon deepen its presence in Bonny Island as it now has a new land space where it intends to build its secretariat, which would have a hall for learning and for teaching young engineers.

At various stops around the facility, the General Managers, Technical Services, Ekeinde Ohiwerei, and Production, Nnamdi Anowi, represented by the Operations Manager, Victor Ojabor, and Head of Control Room, Tajudeen Olori, FNSE, provided a comprehensive briefing on the activities of Nigeria LNG.

Also on hand to receive the NSE President was the NLNG Branch Chairman of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASAN), Albert Onyendi, who expressed the union’s delight at her presence.  

Earlier, the Chairman of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Bonny Branch, Eno Taiwo expressed appreciation, on behalf of her branch, to the NSE President for the visit, disclosing that plans were underway to rev up the mentoring drive for young engineers on the island through activities at its about-to-be built secretariat in Bonny.  

“I’m really grateful to everyone that supported the visit and made it a success and I say thank you to the President for honouring us and coming to see us here in Bonny Island.”

What we are looking to do in Bonny Island and NLNG is to bring engineering to the forefront, mentor our young engineers and bring back that value of engineering to engineers themselves and to the society.

She stated that the secretariat when completed will serve as an engineering hub where aimed at adding huge value to the Engineering sector in Bonny and beyond.

“We also had the groundbreaking of the Engineering House, the Engineering Complex in Finima that serves to be an engineering hub where we’re going to mentor a lot of young engineers.”  

“We’ll also help to inspire the young ones too to follow the path of Engineering and we also hope to add value where we find ourselves in the community and in the office and all round.”

At the NLNG Train 7 project site where she met officials of SCD JV (Saipem, Chiyoda and Daewoo Joint Venture), Saipem Contracting Nigeria Limited, and Daewoo Engineering and Construction Nigeria Limited, amongst other companies, Team Lead of the company’s flagship project, Alli Uwais commended the NSE for its unique strategic initiatives.

On Monday, May 27, 2024, the NSE President also visited the General Hospital and PAN-OJ Clinic and Diagnostics Services Limited, both in Bonny Town, where she distributed health materials to children born on that day, as well as to patients in the different wards.

She also visited the Chief and Head of Buoye Omuso Brown Major House and Amadabo of Finima, Aseme Alabo Dagogo Lambert Brown, performed the groundbreaking for the proposed Engineering Complex in Finima, and later series of engagements with her host, the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Bonny Branch.