FG Lauds Techno Oil’s LPG Cylinder Manufacturing Project
Peter Uzoho
The federal government has restated its position to support industries desirous of helping to develop the country’s economy through their impactful drives.
This is at it lauded Techno Oil Limited for setting up an automated multi-billion naira Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinder manufacturing plant at Kajola area of Lagos which is expected to produce no less than 1,000 pieces of gas cylinders per hour to meet its target of five million pieces yearly.
Speaking recently during an inspection visit to the plant, the DeputyDirector, Industrial Development, Federal Ministry of Industry, Tradeand Investment, Dr. Francis Alaneme, who led a three-man delegationfrom the ministry, said one of the mandates of the ministry was to encourage and develop such value creation industries.
He stated that one of the ways the ministry lends support to industries with investments of such magnitude was by way of incentives, waivers and concessions, noting that a huge investment had been committed in the sector through the facility.
“It is something that anyone coming here will appreciate, and coming here, we are ready to support them based on our mandate, and our mandate is to encourage them, to develop them, to expand them,” Alaneme said. He further said: “And where they’ve started operating we ensure that it is sustained even it entails doing it by incentive, by waivers or concessions because these are the little ways we can assist industries to grow.
“Besides, we have policies; we have discussed about our Industrial Revolution Plan; we also have the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP). All these things are to support industries and to grow industries. So this kind of facility, what will hinder one from ensuring that they start operation and then employ as many as 50, even it employs five people out of the labour market it means much to this country,” Alaneme added.
However, barring any unforeseen bottlenecks, the company said the plant which is being constructed by engineers from Turkey would begin mass production of LPG cylinders by July ending. “Our plan is to be able to produce at least 1000 pieces of cylinders per hour and at least five million cylinders per year, that’s the target and it’s in line with the design capacity of the plant; and we’re expecting to roll out by July ending,” Vice President, Techno Oil Limited, Mrs Nkechi Obi said. “We’re looking at creating about 6000 direct jobs and about 20, 000 indirect jobs from this facility. And in addition to this, all we’re trying to do is in alignment with the government’s plan to reduce the use of kerosene and we’re so passionate about achieving this,” Obi said.
She explained that the company also wants to introduce backward integration into their operation plan to improve efficiency across the industrial line.