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NCDMB Opens Africa’s First Gravimetric Flow Metering Facility with Project 100 Company
Modupe ASUDO
A world-class Gravimetric Flow Metering Calibration Laboratory, the first in Africa, was on Tuesday commissioned at the operational base of Engineering Automation Technology Limited (EATL) at Eket, Akwa Ibom State, with all oil and gas industry regulatory agencies and leading operators in attendance.
The facility, which is engineered to accommodate diverse flow regimes and fluid properties, guarantees accurate and reliable measurement of product transmission through industry pipelines. It incorporates what industry experts describe as “temperature and pressure conditioning, traceable reference standards, and automated data capture,” and would solve problems of flow meter factorisation and recertification.
In a keynote address at the commissioning ceremony, the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, described the facility as a strategic breakthrough in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, noting that “For decades, critical calibration and metering services were largely executed outside our shores, resulting in capital flight, increased project timelines, and limited knowledge transfer.”
He said the Gravimetric Multifaceted Flow Metering Laboratory is firmly aligned with the objectives of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act, 2010, on local asset ownership, capacity building, and value retention. Itsstrategic importance, he noted, extends to revenue assurance and regulatory compliance, cost optimisation for industry operators, technology transfer and skills development, and industrialisation of the Niger Delta.
According to Engr. Ogbe, accurate calibration ensures transparency in hydrocarbon accounting and thus strengthens confidence across operators and regulators. Operators, too, would benefit from in-country calibration and metering servicesin terms of reduced logistics costs and turnaround time, while Nigerian engineers, technicians, and metering specialists now have a world-class training ground.
The Executive Secretary said Engineering Automation Technology Limited is among carefully selected corporate entities under NCDMB’s Project 100 Companies Initiative – a strategic programme designed to nurture high-potential indigenous companies into globally competitive champions. The strategy of the Board, he explained, has evolved beyond monitoring to enabling, which involves provision of access to finance, capacity development, infrastructure, co-investments and research and innovation support.
Represented by the Acting Director, Monitoring and Evaluation, Mr. Silas Ajimijaye, the NCDMB boss acknowledged the leadership role of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) in ensuring that regulatory frameworks continue to support technological advancement while maintaining global standards.
He charged EATL to maintain international quality standards, pursue accreditation and global certifications, invest continuously in research and human capital, and explore regional and continental markets. “Let this facility become a West African hub for flow calibration excellence,” he exhorted.
In her own address, the Commission Chief Executive (CCE) of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Mrs. Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, expressed profound joy at the completion and commissioning of the Calibration and Metering Laboratory, which she declared would be Nigeria’s “national standard.”
“Flow labs in the country’s oil industry will bring their Master Meters here for calibration,” she assured, noting that the NUPRC gave its “very best to support EATL” and would continue to do so.
Represented by the Commission’s Deputy Director, Development, Engr. Manuel Ibifuroko, the CCE said the NUPRC is a business enabler, adding, “We want to be very stringent, but we also have to enable business.” She pointed out that the Commission was determined “to co-create solutions and to ensure costs in the industry are reduced.”
In a welcome address, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Engineering Automation Technology Limited, Dr. Emmanuel Okon, thanked all the organisations – regulators, industry operators and others who facilitated the transition from “aspiration to operational capability.”
He said EATL was “a vision conceived in 2020 shortly after the inauguration of the second batch of NCDMB’s Project 100 by the then Executive Secretary, a support we are still enjoying from the current Executive Secretary of the NCDMB.”
He pointed out that “NUPRC, NCDMB and NUIMS [National Upstream Investment Management Services, an arm of the NNPCL] form the foundational pillars of this facility,” while inviting the regulatory agencies and all industry stakeholders to engage with the laboratory, “scrutinize its data, and adopt it as a shared benchmark.”
He also acknowledged the exceptional support and invaluable partnership of Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited throughout the commissioning process, particularly “for providing the Meter Under Test, without which the milestone would not have been achieved.”
The Chief Upstream Investment Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, represented by the Deputy Manager, Production Sharing Contracts (PSC), Engr. Paul Duke, commended Engineering Automation Technology Limited for its “vision, dedication and technical excellence demonstrated in conceptualizing and delivering a world-class system.”
He noted that with the facility now in place, Nigeria strengthens its capacity for accurate measurement, improved hydrocarbon accounting, and enhanced regulatory compliance, which he described as “critical pillars for transparency and value optimization across the upstream and midstream value chains.”
Engr. Duke expressed appreciation for the collaboration among stakeholders, notably, regulators, operators, service providers, and technical teams, whose collective efforts have brought the initiative to fruition. He said the facility “aligns fully with NNPC Ltd.’s mandate to drive accountability, efficiency, and sustainability in Nigeria’s hydrocarbon operations.”
In related comments, Project Director in the Group Chief Executive Officer’s Office, NNPCL, Mr. Adokiye Charles, said the gathering was not just to activate the facility. According to him, “We are gathered here today to commission accountability; we are gathered here today to commission integrity… and to commission trust.” He expressed great delight at the landmark development.
For his part, the immediate past Executive Commissioner, Development and Production, NUPRC, Engr. Amadasu Enorense, said the commissioning marked a defining milestone in Nigeria’s industrial journey. According to him, “To have the first Flow Metering Calibration Laboratory in Africa is indeed a major milestone.”
In a detailed explanation of the benefits the facility would bring to Nigeria, he pointed out that, “By establishing this in-country calibration laboratory, we are declaring that precision will no longer be outsourced; competence will no longer be imported, and value will no longer be exported unnecessarily.”
He revealed that hitherto, calibration services of such technical complexity required sending equipment – and capital – overseas, resulting in “foreign exchange outflows, project delays, and lost opportunities for our engineers and technicians to develop world-class expertise.” “Today,” he remarked, “We reverse that trend.”
He urged industry operators to support the facility, utilize it, and partner the company to strengthen it. To Nigeria’s young engineers, his message was, “This Laboratory represents opportunity; master the science, uphold integrity and innovate endlessly.” According to him, “The future of our industry will be defined not just by [oil and gas] reserves in the ground but also by knowledge.”
From a major partner in the project, Emerson Automation, were words of assurance of continued support and collaboration. According to the company’s Area Director, West Africa and Angola, Engr. Chukwuma Ossaiga, “If we create value we can impact the next generation.” He urged oil and gas industry players to patronise the facility.
From a representative of Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited, Mr. Enobong Ekanem, was a firm assurance of full patronage of the facility. The NNPCL and other operators all affirmed their confidence in the facility and assured the Management of their preparedness to continue to do business with the company
President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has announced that the expansion of the Dangote Refinery to a production capacity of 1.4 million barrels per day will generate employment for no fewer than 95,000 skilled workers at peak construction.
Dangote disclosed this at the weekend in Lagos during his induction as an Honorary Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Engineering (NAE), describing the project as a major milestone in Nigeria’s industrial transformation.
According to him, the expansion underscores the Group’s continued commitment to engineering excellence, job creation, and sustainable economic growth.
“This award is particularly meaningful because it recognizes what we are doing in the industry, especially our commitment to employing engineers and skilled professionals. At the peak of construction for this expansion, we expect to have about 95,000 skilled workers on site, and we will continue to grow,” Dangote said.
Upon completion, the expanded Dangote Refinery will surpass the Jamnagar Refinery in India to become the largest refinery in the world, significantly strengthening Nigeria’s refining capacity.
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Dangote noted that the project would rely heavily on Nigerian expertise, creating substantial opportunities for engineers, technicians, artisans, and other skilled professionals. He added that the expansion reflects the Group’s long-term vision for industrialization in Nigeria and across Africa.
Beyond employment generation, the refinery expansion is expected to stimulate local manufacturing, enhance technology transfer, and deepen Nigeria’s oil and gas value chain. It will also improve fuel security, reduce dependence on imported petroleum products, and deliver significant foreign exchange savings for the Nigerian economy.
“The scale of this expansion reflects our confidence in Nigerian capacity and our belief that Africa has the ability to build world-class infrastructure that meets global standards,” Dangote stated.
In his remarks, President of the Nigerian Academy of Engineering, Engr. Prof. Rahamon Bello, described the honour as well deserved, noting that Dangote’s impact transcends physical infrastructure.
“What makes this recognition fitting is not only what has been built, but what has been inspired. Alhaji Aliko Dangote’s journey continues to motivate a new generation of engineers, entrepreneurs, and innovators to think boldly, act decisively, and believe in the immense possibilities within our continent,” Bello said.
Photo Caption
From Left: GED Oil & Gas, Dangote Industries Limited, Fatima Aliko Dangote; GED Operations, Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc, Mariya Aliko Dangote; President/CE, Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote; President, The Nigerian Academy of Engineering, Engr. Prof. Rahamon Bello, at The Nigerian Academy of Engineering Induction of Aliko Dangote as Honorary Fellow in Lagos on Friday, April 24, 2026.
Alleging unbearable and unsustainable aviation fuel prices, domestic operators have set Thursday, April 30, 2026 as the shutdown date of local flights in Nigeria.
According to industry insiders, the airlines had engaged both the Federal Government and oil marketers without a breakthrough, and appeared left with no option but to ground flights from Thursday.
The looming shutdown comes after several complaints by operators, who have watched the price of Jet A1 surge by over 300 per cent compared to February levels, pushing operating costs to the brink.
Passengers, many of whom rely on domestic flights for business and urgent travel, now face uncertainty.
In a bid to avert the crisis, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, convened a meeting with airline operators and fuel marketers in Abuja last week. However, findings indicate that the tripartite talks ended in a deadlock, with operators unwilling to shift their stance unless decisive action is taken.
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At the end of the two-day meeting, the minister announced a 30 percent reduction in aviation-related taxes as part of efforts to ease the burden on airlines. While the gesture was acknowledged, operators insist it falls short of addressing the root problem.
On the first day of the meeting, Vice President of the Airline Operators of Nigeria, Allen Onyema, welcomed the government’s intervention but maintained that fuel marketers must account for the sharp rise in prices.
Onyema said, “This government has helped the industry more than anyone since 1999, and the President is even willing to waive 30 percent of the debts airlines are owing.
“But the truth is that the marketers must be brought to book to explain how they came about the 300 percent increase when even Dangote is surprised because what he is selling to us is still the cheapest.”
At the end of the second day, Onyema issued a stark warning, giving a seven-day ultimatum from midnight last Thursday for action to be taken. “Since the advent of the US-Iran war, there has been a spike in aviation fuel in Nigeria, which we, the Airline Operators of Nigeria, feel is not proportionate to the hike internationally.
“We expect that in the next 48 hours something drastic should be done because no airline will fly in this country in the next seven days if nothing is done, not because they don’t want to fly, but because fuel may not be available to us at sustainable pricing.”
Providing further insight into the financial strain, Onyema disclosed that fuel prices have skyrocketed from about N900 per litre before the crisis to between N2,700 and N2,900, with some marketers selling as high as N3,500.
“Before the crisis, we were buying fuel at about N900 per litre. Now it has risen to between N2,700 and N2,900, with some selling as high as N3,300 to N3,500,” he said.
According to him, airlines are now operating primarily to service fuel costs. “All the airlines in Nigeria have been flying to pay fuel marketers only, and you don’t want to compromise safety,” he added.
Despite speculations about indebtedness, senior airline officials who spoke to our correspondent in confidence on Sunday, due to the sensitive nature of the matter, insisted that operators are up to date with payments to key aviation agencies, including the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA).
Consequently, the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) have formally requested additional relief measures from the government.
In the letter dated April 21 and signed by AON President Abdulmunaf Sarina, the group called for the immediate suspension of aviation taxes, fees, and charges for at least six months.
The operators argued that the unprecedented rise in fuel costs threatens not only airline operations but also jobs and the stability of the aviation sector. Among other demands, the AON proposed the introduction of a non-taxable fuel surcharge, a standard practice in international aviation to help airlines manage rising costs.
They also urged the government to direct oil marketers to issue credit notes to airlines affected by what they described as excessive and arbitrary price hikes. In addition, the group called for the establishment of an industry tax reform committee to review existing charges, assess their relevance, and align them with global standards.
As the deadline approaches, uncertainty hangs over Nigeria’s aviation sector. Another airline executive, who spoke anonymously on Sunday because he was not authorised to comment publicly, warned that the shutdown threat remains real. “If nothing is done, no airline will be flying by Thursday,” he said.
The ship of industrial revolution is about to berth in East Africa, with the continent’s leading industrialist, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, making clear his intention to take the driver’s seat on investments conceived to lead the continent into energy security and industrial revolution.
To this end, Alhaji Dangote whose company operates the largest petroleum refinery on the continent has offered to lead a consortium to build a major crude oil refinery in East Africa, as governments across the region push for greater energy self-sufficiency following supply disruptions linked to the Iran conflict.
The cost profile of the proposed East Africa Refinery was not disclosed but the proposed facility, to be located in the Tanzanian port city of Tanga, is expected to mirror the scale and capacity of Dangote’s flagship refinery in Lagos, which processes about 650,000 barrels per day.
The project is being discussed as a joint regional initiative, with crude supplies expected from Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, South Sudan and Uganda.
Kenyan President William Ruto stated at a conference in London that the refinery would serve multiple East African economies, many of which remain heavily dependent on imported refined petroleum products.
The region currently relies largely on supplies from the Middle East, leaving it exposed to global price volatility and logistical disruptions, including those caused by instability around the Strait of Hormuz.
Dangote said he would take the lead in delivering the project if participating governments reached agreement, with a proposed construction timeline of four to five years.
The move reflects a broader shift across Africa toward building domestic refining capacity after recent geopolitical shocks exposed vulnerabilities in fuel supply chains.
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In Nigeria, Dangote’s refinery has already reshaped the domestic energy landscape since operations began in 2024, significantly reducing the country’s long-standing dependence on imported fuel despite being Africa’s largest crude producer.
The facility has also positioned the Dangote Group as a central player in regional energy markets.
The proposed East African refinery is expected to complement emerging upstream production in the region, particularly in Uganda, which is preparing to begin commercial oil output. Kampala has also announced separate plans for a smaller refinery project in partnership with a United Arab Emirates-based investor.
Beyond refining, Dangote indicated plans to expand industrial investments across the continent, including the development of around 20 fertilizer blending plants by 2028 to support agricultural productivity and reduce import dependence.
He also signaled that a future listing of the Nigerian refinery could be opened to African investors, encouraging broader continental participation.
According to Dangote, the expansion strategy is aimed at building integrated industrial capacity that keeps more value within Africa while reducing exposure to external supply shocks.
Analysts say the success of the Tanga project will depend on regional coordination, regulatory alignment and financing, but note that it represents one of the most ambitious attempts yet to create a shared energy infrastructure serving multiple African economies.
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