Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has praised the management of Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemical Free Trade Zone Enterprises (DPRP) over its adherence to the local content law in the execution of its projects and declared its intention to further partner with it for effective implementation of the Local Content policy in the country.

Mr. Akintunde Adelana, Director, Monitoring & Evaluation, NCDMB, who represented the board’s Executive Secretary, Engr. Simbi Wabote, made this disclosure weekend during the DPRP Nigerian Content Sensitization/Awareness Creation Programme, titled: “Let’s Walk the Nigerian Content Talk Together,” at Lekki Free Trade Zone, Lagos.

According to him, “the Dangote Refinery project is expected to close a major gap in the supply of petroleum products in the country. We consider this as a very important project and we are willing to partner with the company to ensure full implementation of the local content policy. We embarked on this journey with the company a long time ago and we are ready to partner with the Dangote Group.

“Part of what you see to today is part of our efforts to ensure that the company and its contractors comply with the local content policy and they have put in a lot of efforts in this regard.”

Speaking further, Wabote described the Local Content Act as the quantum of composite value added to, or created in the Nigerian economy by a systematic development of capacity and capabilities, through the deliberate utilization of Nigerian human, material resources and services in the Nigerian oil and gas industry.

He said the country recorded loses prior to the enactment of the local content policy, which he noted, came from jobs executed abroad by International Oil Companies (IOCs), operating in the country.

“The narrative then was that nothing can be done in-country. Plants and modules were fully fabricated offshore without any structure in place to achieve knowledge transfer. Before 2010, we had no active dry-dock facilities. The few we had were abandoned and left to rot away. Today, we have four active dry docking facilities in Port Harcourt, Onne, and Lagos,” he added.

He said the board’s mandate is to develop local capacity in key areas such as manufacturing and fabrication and promote indigenous ownership of assets and utilization of indigenous assets in oil and gas operations.

Wabote added that the board’s responsibility also include linking  the oil and gas industry  with other sectors of the economy, enhance multiplier effect of oil and gas investments in economy and develop pool of competitive supply chain rooted in oil bearing communities.

Reading riot acts to defaulters of the Nigerian Content Policy, Wabote said non-compliance with the law, will result to the suspension of projects/contracts, penalty of five per cent of project sum, withdrawal of NCDMB’s services, and project cancellation unrecoverable sunk cost.

Other penalties for non-compliance, according to the Executive Secretary, are escalation to other regulators to withdraw or suspend license, withdrawal of approvals or de-classification of contractor from pre-qualification list, application of the full weight of the law in accordance with Section 68, and publication of non-compliant operators in newspapers and professional gazettes.

Also speaking at the occasion, the Chief Operating Officer, DPRP, Mr. Giuseppe Surace, said the programme was organized to create awareness among the company’s contractors on the requirements of NCDMB, as part of moves to ensure the local content policy take roots in their day to day operation.

“The programme was organized to ensure that our contractors are well informed about the Nigerian Content Act and this is expected to assist them with the execution of not just the Dangote project, but other projects in their portfolio,” he added.

Philips Africa a leading health technology company focused on improving people’s health, has recently launched Lumify, a new mobile, app-based approach to ultrasound delivery that brings secure cloud-enabled technology and high-image quality to broader network of healthcare providers.

The first App-Based ultrasound system that will extend the reach of ultrasound applications to a broader network of healthcare providers using mobile technology was unveiled during Medic West Africa 2018 Lagos.

Speaking at the event, Anari de Wet (Business Marketing Manager, Ultrasound – Philips) said the Philips’ Lumify is an entirely new way of delivering ultrasound technology to healthcare providers and their patients, while offering high-quality imaging on a compatible smart devicethrough a subscription model.

Anari de Wet noted that the Lumify is designed for emergency departments and urgent care centers, as well as other clinical settings; it operates from a compatible smart device connected to a Philips ultrasound transducer.

“Users will also have access to an online portal where they can manage their device and access Philips’ support, training and IT services.”

With this intuitive, easy-to-use integrated system, clinicians can begin their Reacts session with a face-to-face conversation on their Lumify ultrasound system. Users can switch to the front-facing camera on their smart device to show the position of the probe.

They can then share the Lumify ultrasound stream, so both parties are simultaneously viewing the live ultrasound image and probe positioning, while discussing and interacting at the same time.

According to Jasper Westerink, CEO, Philips Africa, Lumify ultrasound is designed to drive transformation in care delivery and digital health, a dynamic combination that can extend the reach of ultrasound in a remarkable way.

“Lumify’s unique combination of connectivity, simplicity, portability and flexibility enables clinicians to perform ultrasound examinations across a variety of clinical settings, from cardiology suites down to under resourced semi-urban and rural areas.

Finally, clinicians as well as family doctors at small outpatient clinics can perform scan themselves, speeding up the diagnosis process and possible treatments.” he said.

The Lumify is part of Philips’ App-Based ultrasound ecosystem, an open innovation platform aimed to deliver the benefits of ultrasound early in the health continuum and expand access among more healthcare providers.

The Lumify ultrasound can help healthcare providers guide diagnosis, treatment and management in ways for which, ultrasound isn’t currently used. Built on a flexible subscription-based delivery model, users, healthcare providers and institutions, have access to and can manage solutions based on their changing demands and needs.

The first-generation Lumify transducer is now commercially available across East Africa. The L12-4 transducer supports a variety of clinical applications, including soft tissue, musculoskeletal, lung and vascular scanning.

Two Nigerians and their companies have collaborated to design and develop a car prototype with 100 percent local content, christened, IVIXI AIV.

At a media unveiling of the car prototype in Lagos, Dapo Akintunde, an architect, car designer and founder of IVIXI Design and Azuka Ijekeye, industrialist and founder of Interstreet Messenger Limited, said the design of the car was driven by many elements from the Nigerian life.

They said that the design and development of the prototype involved ‘original thinking’, adding that the production was based on 100 percent local content in both the materials used and the human capital.

“This is a home-grown icon. Its bulk, size and truss mainframe offers protection against various rogue bullies. This car is tall for protection against its light weight composition but its low centre of gravity prevents any sort of tumbling.

It packs the intel of a 2018 super-vehicle as it will provide additional inverter capacity to supply its owner with electricity, a scarce commodity to many West Africans. The body surfacing is as smooth as any product from the established car industries.

Its interior uses original leather hide, hand-stitched in a beautiful intricate weave,” they stated. Akintunde further stated:

“The car lights (like the whole car) are aero-dynamic in design and produced with laser precision. The car grill is intricate in its pattern, yet whole in its being.

The windscreen was manufactured in the factory by combining laser cutting and controlled heat-bending processes with critical human thinking. “This product is the real deal for the Nigerian Automotive industry.

Its authenticity shall spring forth sub-industries for the various component – drive-train and suspension, electronics, interior parts, lights, windscreen and mirrors, rubber and plastic parts, and all others.”