… As top oil and gas pipeline engineer warns against allowing foreigners to take over the initiative
Nigerian engineers especially those in the marine sector have been urged to take over initiative in the fast surging blue economy by designing and producing faster and safer speedboats.
The suggestion was floated by Steve Ayiyi, a seasoned oil and gas pipeline engineer, at the 2025 annual general meeting of the Nigerian Society of Engineering (NSE) in one of the keynote addresses.
The annual workshop and exhibition began Thursday, 14, 2025 at the exquisite woodlands in the Old GRA called FB Garden situated on Number 42 Armed Forces Avenue in the Garden City of Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The AGM focused on Nigerian Content with the Theme: ‘Integrating Local Content in Nigeria’s Blue Economy, Energy, and Manufacturing Sectors for Sustainable National Development’.
In his key takeaways, the veteran oil/gas engineer said there are plenty opportunities for communities in logistics. “Don’t wait for foreigners to come and do it. We need to improve the flying boat that carries more passengers with more safety. NSE can set a target of fabricating a safe boat on river that cannot be attacked by pirates. It will be a big market. It is possible to build and secure ourselves.”
He said Blue economy is not an easy economy like land economy. He said the nation should first list out what it has already going on in the blue economy and know what next.
Read also: FG courts investors in marine and blue economy with 10-year blueprint
He said FG must create partnerships. For a blueprint, he gave steps and suggestions and demanded for tax holiday for companies venturing into Blue Economy. “Give all jobs to Nigerians where they can do it.”
He pointed to importation of raw materials as major challenge in kick-starting the new economy but called for training because, as he put it, jobs are rather looking for workers.
He gave tips to companies asking them try Asia in tech and training where Europe failed them. “Let businesses create hubs and clusters and help each other especially in power; embrace international standards such as ISPO in farms, it can be done in manufacturing. Need for cold rooms in the creeks to preserve sea foods.
“Engineers can create the right boats and vessels to move goods around in the creeks. Need for security in the waterways. Boats better built in Nigeria. It costs even less than cost of transporting the foreign boat.”
He warned that commercial loans (35%) are too costly for capital.
He also said plastic waste collection is now going on and that local tech has come to the rescue. “Our problem is where to see plastic waste to collect. Waste to energy is good business. Its being experimented in Lagos. If it works, it will be spread along the coastal areas.”
He called on universities to review their curriculum in the Costa Rica model with Intels who first changed their curriculum before introducing ICT revolution.
He raised alarm, saying different regulatory agencies are coming to demand levies for every project. He said there is need to have a single agency approach. “Let the NCDB approach be adopted in the sector to ensure the communities are brought in. If local communities are involved, nothing will go wrong.”
In his presentation, Innocent Akuvue, a big industry player and CEO of GGI group, commended NSE PH Branch for focusing on Nigerian content which he said is the new focus in Nigeria. “Its all about creating capacity in-country. Today Nigerian companies are competing with foreigners where they had no capacity before.
“Its up to companies to stand up to producing something in-country as GGI does. Now, time for gown to town to kick in. They must help to produce raw materials to help local manufacture.”
He lamented about partnerships with academic institutions saying it is very difficult due to delay and foot-drag, even with money ready. “Let there be a wake up. Nigeria is pushing for African local content. The quicker we move faster, the better.”
He said that degrees in engineering alone were not enough but workshops and training, “Else you become a stale engineer nobody wants. Make sure you go away different from how you came.”
In her welcome address, Idaeresoari Harriet Ateke, the branch chairman of the NSE, harped at tech and human capital as very urgent to entry into local content and blue economy.
She said engineers are the architect of this revolution from policy to reality, and that NSE is ready for collaboration. “Let’s build a nation where local content is not just policy but a way of life.”
