By Saby Elemba, Owerri
Dorman Long Engineering Limited, an oilfield equipment, structural steel and engineering fabrication company, has trained and empowered 40 Imo youths with professional, vocational training and capacity building in various areas of engineering works and fabrications.
The training and empowerment project, which is part of the company’s commitment to its corporate social responsibility (CSR) to the host community, took place at the Mudiame Welding Institute permanent site, Irrua, in Edo State.
Laurent Maubre, managing director, Dorman Long Engineering Limited, said the project was intended to support growth in Nigeria’s domestic gas based on the Federal Government’s initiatives for additional power to support industrial projects.
Speaking at the closing ceremony held in Owerri on Thursday, Maubre said the youths were drawn from Assa North’s four cluster communities (Assa, Ochia, Awarra & Obile) and Ohaji/Egbema’s seven access cluster communities (Avu, Obosima, Obuomadike, Umunwaku, Ohoba, Obitti & Umuapu), where the Assa North-Ohaji South gas project is located.
Maubre, who was represented by Godwin Idoko-Ogala, the company’s head of human resources, said that out of the 40 persons trained, eight were trained in professional areas while 32 received vocational training.
He listed the relevant areas to include electrical engineering, welding and fitting, scaffolding and rigging, project management, electrical installation, civil engineering, quantity surveying, ICT, telecoms, and carpentry.
“The training involved both competence building and on-the-job training and spanned a period of 12 months, from August 7, 2021 to August 8, 2022,” Maubre said.
“In accordance with Nigerian Content Human Capacity Initiative implementation guideline, Dorman Long, in conjunction with Shell Petroleum Development Company, is committed to sustainable development of host communities wherever projects are located.
“It is our goal to ensure that at the conclusion of the project, our host communities would have their lot improved appreciably,” he said.
He urged the beneficiaries not to relent in their quest for knowledge of unique ways to contribute to the growth of society.
Speaking, Eugene Opara, Imo State commissioner for petroleum resources, commended Dorman Long Engineering, its support partners, the SPDC and TotalEnergies for their kind gesture.
He assured the company of Imo government’s support and urged relevant stakeholders to create an enabling business environment for the development of the communities to enable the oil and gas business to thrive.
“As a government, we are caught between providing an enabling business environment for oil and gas operations and focusing on development in the oil communities. We commend your kind gesture,” he said.
Igo Weli, general manager, corporate relations, SPDC, congratulated the beneficiaries for a successful completion of the training programme, adding that the Assa North-Ohaji South gas project would provide domestic gas to a nearby refinery.
A highlight of the event was the presentation of start-up kits and equipment to the graduating students by Dorman Long Engineering Limited.
