By Dianabasi Effiong
Uyo FLOWERBUDNEWS; Stakeholders in the oil and gas and blue economy sectors have called on the Akwa Ibom State Government to take deliberate steps to develop a pool of professionally trained commercial divers and strengthen indigenous marine companies to maximise the state’s enormous opportunities in the oil, gas, and blue economy sectors.
The call was made on Wednesday during a facilities visit to Azi Marine and General Services Limited, Ibeno, by stakeholders and members of the Energy and Maritime Reporters of Nigeria (EMR), Akwa Ibom State Branch.
The stakeholders also interacted with the company’s management staff who took them round the company’s marine engineering, fabrication, and diving support facilities.
The Managing Director, Azi Marine and General Services Limited, Engr. Michael Abakam, used the occasion to acknowledge the enormous offshore resources in Akwa Ibom.
According to him, the state has yet to fully benefit from the economic opportunities available due to inadequate investment in local capacity development and insufficient participation of indigenous
companies.
Abakam said the company had built the technical capacity to undertake marine engineering, fabrication, and commercial diving operations, including strict partnerships with international firms on technology transfer and continuous knowledge sharing.
He said that the company had trained more than 1,000 young people in various marine and offshore skills over the years.
He said that such training included commercial diving, welding, and other technical disciplines relevant to the oil and gas industry.
Abakam said that commercial diving was one of the highest-paying professions in the offshore industry, adding that the cost of training a commercial diver in the industry ranged between ₦15 million and ₦20 million.
He, however, stressed that it was difficult for individuals to fund such specialised training without institutional support.
He said that the Akwa Ibom State Government could establish dedicated programmes for the training of commercial divers, similar to its investment in aviation manpower development, which had produced pilots and aviation professionals serving in leading organisations.
He said that since Akwa Ibom had abundant and significant concentrations of offshore oil and gas activities, the state should deliberately invest in producing highly skilled indigenous professionals capable of taking advantage of available employment opportunities.
The marine expert further called for policies that would ensure that oil companies operating within its domain patronise qualified indigenous firms and provide structured opportunities for local professionals through effective implementation of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act.
According to him, local content should go beyond national participation to reflect the interests of host states and communities where the operations occur.
He said that indigenous companies in Akwa Ibom possessed the competence, equipment, and manpower to execute complex offshore projects but were frequently overlooked in spite of operating to international standards.
Abakam also appealed to the government to involve industry practitioners in policy formulation, adding that effective regulations must be accompanied by practical implementation and continuous stakeholder engagement.
According to him, the company is developing plans for a modern offshore and onshore marine base in Ibeno to position Akwa Ibom as a major maritime logistics hub for Nigeria and the Gulf of Guinea, while creating employment opportunities for host communities.
Earlier, the State Chairman of the EMR, Mr. Harrison Ndifreke, said the association embarked on the visit to strengthen collaboration between the media and key stakeholders in the maritime, energy, and blue economy sectors.
He commended Azi Marine and General Services Limited for demonstrating the capacity of indigenous companies to compete internationally through investments in modern facilities, local manpower development, and marine services.
Ndifreke reassured on EMR’s commitment to promote responsible journalism that would highlight opportunities within the blue economy, support local content development, and encourage policies capable of attracting investment and creating sustainable employment.
The group further urged the Akwa Ibom state government, international oil companies (IOCs), the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), and other relevant stakeholders to collaborate in establishing a Commercial Diving and Marine Skills Development Programme in the state.
EMR also noted that such an initiative would equip young people with globally recognised offshore skills, reduce unemployment, expand indigenous participation in the maritime sector, and position Akwa Ibom as Nigeria’s leading centre for marine and offshore manpower development.