World Report

Chukwuma Henry Okolo
MD and Vice Chairman of Dorman Long

‘It is my firm belief that we can create value in the private sector’

orman Long Engineering Limited is helping to pioneer the indigenisation of manufacturing activities in the Nigerian oil and gas sector. The Nigerian structural engineering firm – a one-time subsidiary of British Steel that still maintains links to various British technical groups – is responding head on to the government’s challenge to see more local input in projects.

Chukwuma Henry Okolo, Managing Director and Vice Chairman, is committed to proving the ability of Nigeria’s emerging private sector. “It is my firm belief that we can create value in the private sector in Nigeria,” he says. “The mission of Dorman Long is to transform the company into Nigeria’s most diversified oil and gas equipment fabrication company.”

Already an active player in the local energy sector, Dorman Long has three major fabrication facilities with a total capacity of over 35,000 metric tons, representing the largest and most advanced capacity in Nigeria. The company manufactures everything from bridges to storage reservoirs. On the energy side, it produces a variety of oil field equipment and marine structures. It also produces equipment locally on behalf of foreign partners on a licensing basis.

Dorman Long’s three facilities produce a variety of energy sector equipment.

There are big plans for the future. Dorman Long will be investing close to $20 million (£11 million) over the next 18 months following a cash injection from the Capital Alliance Private Equity Fund, a leading private equity group, to upgrade capacity.

Mr Okolo sees great potential for his firm, not only because of the standards it has already achieved, but because of the demand for indigenous suppliers to the booming oil sector. “For the government, fabrication is a critical component in terms of its content policy.”

Longer term, there are plans to take the business global, pushing Nigerian expertise in other markets.

A key element of its growth strategy is a commitment to training. Okolo says the Nigeria of today emphasises value creation and hard work. “We see ourselves on the verge of transforming from a medium-size Nigerian entity to a major player.”