The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has applauded ESSO Nigeria on the groundbreaking of its permanent shorebase facility at the LADOL Deep Offshore Logistics Base, describing the project as a major demonstration that Nigeria has become a prime hub for global oil and gas logistics.
ESSO Nigeria, an affiliate of ExxonMobil, is investing $23 million in the facility, which will include an administrative building, warehouses, and other storage areas.
Speaking at the event held on Thursday at the LADOL base in Lagos, the Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Felix Omashola Ogbe, congratulated ESSO and LADOL on the project and reaffirmed the Board’s commitment to working with industry players to deepen capacity development in the country’s upstream supply chain. He praised LADOL’s track record of consistency, tenacity, and forward-looking momentum, noting that these qualities have been evident over many years of close engagement with the facility.
Represented by his Senior Technical Adviser, Austin Uzoka, the NCDMB boss noted that LADOL’s emergence as a credible deep offshore base represents a direct and tangible response to vulnerabilities in the logistics sphere of the Nigerian oil and gas industry.
“Today, we’re pleased that Nigeria has an alternative” he stated, drawing a parallel between the completion of the Dangote Refinery and the expansion of LADOL, and harping that Nigeria’s supply chain was measurably stronger than it was 10 years ago.
He noted that cash flow constraints have become a recurring challenge for Nigerian suppliers across the industry, with many approaching the Board for funding support because payment timelines from operators are often not aligned with project delivery demands, adding, “I would like to encourage you to pay LADOL more and make sure that it is front-end-loaded so they can have money to finish this on time without having to go to the banks.”
He emphasized that supply chains are at the bedrock of national development and assured that the NCDMB will continue to deepen its partnership with both LADOL and ESSO to build more capacity within the country.
He described ESSO as a measured and deliberate operator that moves decisively once committed, expressing confidence that the groundbreaking signals the commencement of a project that will be delivered on schedule, while also charging the company to remain committed to utilizing Nigerian capacities and capabilities.
Earlier, the Chairman and Managing Director of ExxonMobil affiliates in Nigeria, Jagir Baxi, stated that the project represents an important milestone investment by ESSO Nigeria in its over 70-year partnership with the country and underscores its commitment to enhancing Nigeria’s deepwater offshore operational capabilities.
Baxi added that the structures will be constructed predominantly by Nigerian companies, thereby supporting job creation and the development of local expertise in engineering, construction, and commissioning.
The ceremony was attended by representatives of the Bank of Industry, leadership of ESSO Nigeria, and the LADOL management led by Amy Jadesimi, as well as officials from the Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Immigration Service, and other relevant government agencies.
