Shareholders of the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) on Friday, December 27, 2019 took the final investment decision (FID) on its Train 7 project, kick-starting the commencement of the $10 billion LNG expansion project of the company in Bonny Island, Rivers State, Nigeria.

The NLNG shareholders include the Federal Government, represented by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (49 per cent), and three international oil companies (IOCs), namely Shell Gas B.V. (25.6 per cent), Total Gaz Electricite Holdings France (15 per cent) and Eni International N.A. N.V. S.àr.l (10.4 per cent).

The project, which has been delayed for over 10 years and which was expected to bring all the idle fabrication yards in the country back to life, will increase the company’s production capacity from 22 metric tonnes per annum (MTPA) to about 30 MTPA, and will form part of the investment of over $10bn, including the upstream scope of the LNG value chain, thus upscaling its competitiveness in the global LNG market.

Stakeholders in the project location, Bonny LGA, reacted to the news of the FID taken by the NLNG shareholders and below are what some of them said about the decision.

With FID, NLNG has upscaled its status as a strategic development partner – Lawmaker

The final investment decision (FID) taken by the Nigeria LNG shareholders has been applauded by the lawmaker representing Bonny Constituency in the Rivers State House of Assembly, Abinye Pepple.

To the two term lawmaker, by taking action on commencement of the Train & project which was expected to create over 10,000 new jobs aside ancillary business opportunities, NLNG has improved on its status as a strategic development partner of Rivers State and Bonny LGA in particular.

He called on relevant stakeholders to take advantage of the project to improve the living standards and economic benefits of the people of Rivers State.

Pepple stressed that “a project of this nature holds the spectacular key of a sustainable and transcendental capacity development trajectory for the people as the skills learnt and knowledge gained in the project will bequeath our people will the competence future projects will need in any part of the globe.”  

G30 Ibani Voice welcomes Train 7 FID, urges constructive engagement

On its part, the G30 Ibani Voice, a group of technocrats from Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State, hailed the Final Investment Decision (FID) for the Train 7 Plus project taken by NLNG’s shareholders, marking the commencement of the long awaited project. 

Founder and President of the group, Dr Fubara Dan-Jumbo praised NLNG’s shareholders, management and all other stakeholders for taking this all-important decision, describing it as “a good thing for the Bonny people” and “a major milestone opportunity for Bonny people”.

While calling for constructive engagement from all stakeholders, Dan-Jumbo stated that the project was in line with the group’s ideals and principles, which was human capital development, and holds huge opportunities for the people of the area.

“First and foremost, as G30 Ibani Voice, our ideals and principles are tended towards human capacity development. This is a major milestone opportunity for the Bonny people. 12,000 job spaces coming into Bonny Kingdom is major.”

He expressed optimism that both the unskilled and skilled population will be captured in the opportunities presented by the project while entrepreneurs will be empowered thus boosting the economy of Bonny LGA, Rivers State, and Nigeria, as a whole.

Leverage Bonny Graduates’ skills pool – Bonny Graduates to NLNG

The Bonny Graduates’ Forum (BGF) also welcomed the development, saying “It’s a welcome development that will create more job opportunities for our dear kingdom, precisely, graduates of Bonny”.

Chairman of the forum, Awoiyeala Allison, a mechanical engineer, urged the Nigeria LNG and its contractors to partner with the BGF in ensuring that competence and capacity was mainstreamed in the project.

“We urge NLNG and its contractors to, as a matter of urgency, partner with BGF in ensuring competent hands are been given the opportunity to express their professions. We can always boast of competency because we are sure of our products.”

“Bonny Graduates’ Forum (BGF) having existed for 25 years has all kinds of professionals competent to manage any plant in the world with their wealth of experience. So, if NLNG must succeed, they need to look inwards and get Train 7 running. Once more I congratulate NLNG, Bonny Kingdom, Rivers State and Nigeria at large”.

Train FID will unleash benefits for our people – LG Chairman

Welcoming the news of the shareholders’ decision on the train 7 project, Chairman of Bonny Local Government Area, David Irimagha said he was happy as the project would unleash several benefits for the people of the area.

“People will have jobs, business people will have opportunities to invest and everyone will have something once the project takes off. So, you see why I am happy that they have taken that singular and all-important decision. This is good for our people.”

He stated that his administration will continue to support all initiatives aimed at improving the lives of Bonny people, urging the NLNG and its contractors to ensure that extant local content parameters in the country are adhered to in course of executing the project.  

We’ll synergize to maximize available opportunities – Bonny Women

On their part, the women of Bonny Kingdom expressed happiness over the development, stating that they will synergize with relevant stakeholders to maximize opportunities inherent in the project for their betterment.

The new leader of Bonny women, Helen Pepple said “I feel so happy. Fortunately, I am a member of the committee set up by the Amanyanabo-in-Council; that is the Bonny Kingdom Local Content Compliance Committee, to interface with NLNG and other stakeholders as regards the Train 7 project.

“We have made our point that where we don’t have capacity we are ready to partner. We are going to synergize with other bodies and we will work as a team. There are going to be openings in the world of work. There are going to be openings in the world of business. There are going to be openings for the skilled. There are going to be new openings because the technology used in the trains 1 to 6 is not the technology that is going to be used now. So, people will take advantage of that. All hands are on deck.”

Pepple, however, charged the women to rise to the occasion by taking advantage of the various opportunities that were coming with the project, noting that “good things await Bonny people but we just can’t be docile. We can’t be at the background and not knowing what is happening, not knowing what is due us”.

Bonny is safe for work and business – Security Agencies

The security agencies in Bonny LGA have also assured investors coming for the Train 7 project that the area is safe and conducive for business.

Reacting to the signing of the Final Investment Decision (FID) earlier today, Commanding Officer of the Nigerian Navy (NN) Forward Operating Base (FOB), Bonny, Navy Commodore Kola Oguntuga declared that the security agencies in the area were well prepared to continue to provide maximum security to residents, investors and other visitors.

“With regards to security, we are well prepared; we have not stopped the work we have been doing. Considering the yuletide period we have ensured that everyone who came home for the holidays are enjoying themselves while here. So, I am assuring all the companies that are coming into the island that the island is safe and that we have created a conducive environment.” 

He described the event as “a welcome development,” saying it was going to positively impact the community economically.

“It is a welcome development in as much as it is going to bring an economic boost to the environment. It is going to empower the community. It will also provide jobs. So, it is good because they always say an idle mind is the devil’s workshop. If the youths are engaged they will be more useful to the community.”

“We are trying to engage more now with the community so that they can partner with us and avail us with real time intelligence, provide us with information and whatever that is happening around them. They can call us anytime and we shall respond adequately and you know we will definitely continue to provide adequate security.”

It is one of the best things ever to happen – Welders Association

The Ibani Welders Association (IWA) described the final investment decision (FID) taken by the NLNG shareholders as “one of the best things that will ever happen in our lives here in Bonny and even outside Bonny”.

Chairman of the association, Adawari Jumbo, said the company’s decision has rekindled hope for the teeming number of welders who have been out of jobs in the past 10 years, disclosing that over 300 welders will be engaged in the project as there will be a lot of fabrication jobs both onshore and offshore.

“As the Chairman of the welders association in Bonny, the signing of the FID is another hope for the welders here. It is giving them what to live with again for the next 15 years. It is a good one.”

“There are several opportunities for welders in the project given the massive fabrication, construction and other opportunities inherent in the project, we are expecting over 300 welders to be engaged and we pray to have more because we are going to have a lot of fabrication jobs both onshore and offshore.”

“So, the signing of the FID will create so much job opportunities for us that will occupy us and keep our people busy and also develop them too professionally.

“It will also help to reduce youth restiveness here because a lot of our youths, even the ones that went through the amnesty training abroad that have not been engaged, that learnt welding and fabrication, this is the opportunity and time for them to be engaged inn to meaningful jobs. It has created openings for them.” 

Good development that will open greater opportunities – Bonny Indigenes in Diaspora

To indigenes of Bonny Kingdom in the Diaspora, the Final Investment Decision (FID) taken by the Nigeria LNG for the Train 7 Project will usher in greater opportunities for the Bonny Local Government Area thus empowering the people of the area to achieve more in terms of improving their living standards.

Leader of the Bonny Community in the United States, Stephen Benstowe hailed the decision, pointing out that the Train 7 project holds the potential of opening up more doors of investment, economic empowerment and progress for Bonny Kingdom, Rives State and Nigeria as a whole.

He stated that the Bonny Community in the Diaspora were fully in support of the various initiatives by the Amanyanabo of Bonny Kingdom and the political leadership to improve the lives of the people, adding that they were favourably disposed to providing maximum support in whichever area they were needed.

Time to unite and speak with one voice is now – Bonny Youths

On their part, the youths of Bonny Kingdom praised the decision of the NLNG shareholders to flag off the project thus creating multiple opportunities for the people of the area and beyond.

Leader of the Bonny Youths Federation (BYF), Simeon Wilcox said this singular decision by the company was a clarion call for all youths of the community to unite and speak with one voice in order to localise the benefits of the project.  

“I think this is the time for Bonny people to come together because the project has come to fruition. The final investment decision has been signed so the project has come on stream already.”

“The question now is how do you benefit? So, the best way to benefit is to come together, put our heads together and put our ideas to together on how to benefit from this huge project.

He noted that it was important the affected host communities strategize to maximize the opportunities inherent in the project pending the signing into law of the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill which is expected to mainstream community content as against Nigerian content.

“From the tone of the stakeholders signing the final investment decision today you can see it is Nigerian thing. Nobody is talking about Bonny anywhere. It is the Bonny man that will make himself relevant. To localise the benefits of the project we have to come together and speak with one voice.”   

Recall that the NNPC had on December 13, 2019 announced the signing of a Gas Supply Agreement (GSA) between it and major gas producers for the Train 7 project – a condition precedent for the NLNG to take the FID.

At the occasion, NNPC Group Managing Director, Mele Kyari had said that, with the agreement in place, all was set for the take-off of the project.

The signing of the FID eventually took place at the NLNG office in Abuja on Friday, December 27, 2019 heralding the take-off of the project which was expected to generate over 10,000 direct jobs.