Yemisi Izuora
Oil major, Total, has given fresh assurances that it will improve on its Local Content drive in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
It said that currently, it makes an annual expenditure of over $40 million on Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR, in the country.
The firm said with such expenditure it has recorded remarkable investments in capacity development, employability, health, education as well as infrastructure.
Speaking during the Virtual PSRG-RICHARDSON HSSE Forum, in Lagos,
Deputy Managing Director, Deep Water, Total Upstream Companies in Nigeria, Engr. Ahmadu-Kida Musa, said that before the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act, 2010 came into effect, Nigerian content was already innate to its strategy and embedded in all its projects.
Musa, noted that Total projects have surpassed previous Nigerian Content standards, adding, “Industry watchers would attest to the progressive local content records of projects like Amenam Kpono; Akpo; OfON2; OML 58 Upgrade; USAN, and Egina.
Our contributions to Nigeria’s economic development have been very prominent with our deep offshore developments where we demonstrated trail-blazing technological expertise in OFON, USAN, and EGINA.”
The deepwater Egina field he said is currently adding 200,000 barrels of oil per day to Nigeria’s production. “The EGINA FPSO is the largest in the Total Group and the first to be fabricated and integrated in Nigeria with 77 percent engineering man-hours done in-country. Designed for 25 years of operations, the Egina field guarantees a promising future for the country.”
Musa, further explained that though the ongoing Ikike project is no doubt a far smaller project but it is very big on Nigerian Content.
According to him, Its targets include: 100 percent Project Management man-hours being performed in Nigeria, 81 percent of Total Detailed Engineering man-hours being performed in-country, 100 percent of Construction and Fabrication works for 3 out of 4 packages to be performed in-country, 100 percent of Procurement through Nigerian-owned companies and 100 percent of Third-Party services by Nigerian-owned companies.
He noted that the development of local capacities is the surest way to assure a sustainable future.
“Accordingly, We continue to contribute in several ways to Nigerian’s economic development through our CSR initiatives and collaboration with professional bodies such as yourselves.
The Nigerian Mining and Geosciences Society, NMGS- Total Prize has been the coveted prize of the society for years because in addition to money award, winners go on a fully- sponsored technical trip to our Scientific Centre in France, for two weeks.” he said.
Musa also added that the company has made giant strides in addressing the challenges of climate change as a means of assuring a sustainable future.
“Total wants to be part of the solution to climate change with a commitment to delivering affordable and clean energy to the population. We have made important investments locally in this area and implemented several initiatives that are already impacting the Nigerian energy landscape positively.”
According to him, over 1.5 million people in Nigeria have been impacted from sale of 400,000 Total solar lamps since 2013 according to Global Lighting Off-grid Association estimates, and worldwide 10 million people have been impacted.
Also, out of its 577 service stations across the country, more than 77 have been solarized as at the end of January 2020 and that it is an ongoing programme and the target is to ensure that all Total stations will become solarized.
The oil company has also deployed over 150 residential solar solutions across the country while its investment in the NLNG from the beginning till now, is partly derived from its commitment to the production of cleaner and better energy.
Musa revealed that Total’s ambition is to become the responsible energy major and to get to Net Zero carbon emissions by 2050.
This consists of 3 major steps, which include Net Zero on Operations by 2050 or sooner (scope 1+2), Net Zero in Europe by 2050 or sooner (scope 1+2+3), and 60 percent or more Net Carbon Intensity reduction by 2050 (scope 1+2+3)
To be able to achieve these objectives, Total would be promoting the use of natural gas, biogas, and hydrogen with significant investment in low carbon electricity, mainly from renewables, low-cost oil and biofuels, and carbon sinks that are essential to achieving carbon neutrality, either nature-based solutions or carbon capture & storage.
He commended the Forum’s organisers for adopting a COVID-19 compliant and innovative virtual platform for this year’s discourse.
He observed that no country has been spared the devastating effect of the coronavirus.
“As a responsible corporate citizen, Total rose to the clarion call of the Federal Government along with its partners, led by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), by contributing to a donation of N21billion in support of the Federal Government’s COVID-19 efforts. Total’s contribution was $3.2m (N1.2b). We have also supported the Lagos State Government with critical supplies and medical equipment.”
In Rivers State, he said the company reached out to its stakeholders by providing medical supplies and its downstream company Total Nigeria Plc donated N50 million as part of a combined contribution from the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN), under the auspices of the NNPC and provided the Lagos State Government with fuel for logistical support during the pandemic.
“We believe in the development of local capacities and will continue to work with all stakeholders including yourselves and especially the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NDMB) to ensure the sustainable economic development of Nigeria.” he added.
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