By Ndubuisi Micheal Obineme
Ranti Omole, the Vice Chairman of Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN), has advised Angolan entrepreneurs to focus more on capacity building and ensure they position their companies to opportunities based on their strength.
At the Angola Oil & Gas Technology Conference 2021, the PETAN Vice-Chairman provided insight on Best Practices and Strategies for Local Service Providers to Build Capacities for Project Opportunities in the Angolan oil and gas industry.
In his words, he advised the Angolan local service providers to focus on areas where the multinational companies lack the strength to carry out a specific project, adding that these should be the niche areas where the local companies can explore and take advantage of the project opportunities.
For big projects, he suggested that they should collaborate with the multinational companies to leverage their experiences and gain the necessary skills which will enable the local companies to improve on their competencies for other projects.
He added, “You need to invest in assets and equipment that is needed for various business activities.
“You need to invest in manpower such as training the staffs to be competent in those business areas that the company will be focusing on.
“You should be flexible and adaptable in ensuring you provide reliable and top quality services to gain the trust from the IOCs in terms of project delivery.
“It is important to ensure that non-resident OEMs have local technical partners, not commission agents. They should be part of the project because it gives them the first-time opportunity in terms of maintenance, integration, and building packages for the project.
“Right from the commissioning of the project, there should be locally available technical support that understands the scope of work, and, working with one or two experts will build the capacity.
“If you have a job and you don’t have the capacity to carry out the project, search for it elsewhere. It is better you get the job done, than, to spoil your reputation.
“Access the gaps that you have and source for those gaps across the region. You can collaborate with countries and companies across the region.”
Speaking further, he explained that local content shouldn’t be seen as a Nigerian, Angolan or African standard.
“We need to develop an international standard by going through all the best practices and get the ISO certifications in quality management, environment, safety management, and other areas related to the business. All the staff must have all the required requisites.
“But, you don’t need to wait until you get the certifications, you can start the process while waiting for the certifications.
“More importantly, all the stakeholders and regulators must work together to build the local content, while ensuring they patronize the local service providers and make sure they comply with the regulations,” he said.