Amy Jadesimi, managing director of Lagos Deep Offshore Logistic Base (LADOL) explains to TheCable why Nigeria is fast becoming the fabrication hub in Africa, why Nigeria is now more than ever an attractive investment destination, women’s role in leadership and the impact of increased local content to the Nigeria economy.

TheCable: What is the economic impact of the successful arrival of Egina FPSO in Nigeria?

Amy Jadesimi: The arrival of the Egina FPSO (floating production storage and offloading unit) is a sea change – no pun intended – because it shows that we can now carry out the most challenging industrial project in the world, in Nigeria. This is not just about the arrival of the vessel, it is about the building of the yard and the operation of the yard. The Nigerians who worked in the yard operated above the average global standard and the results speak for themselves.

The fact that the FPSO was sent here was primarily because we achieved everything that we needed to achieve in the yard. The six modules were built, we were ready to receive the vessel ahead of time. And in every way the arrival of the vessel and the way the project has been conducted in Nigeria exceeded expectations. The collaboration and the proof that ease of doing business is working, is also an important mile stone. We couldn’t have achieved this without the support of the Nigeria Port Authority (NPA). The NPA went the extra mile – they set up a committee, they coordinated all the stakeholders (both private and public sector) they made sure that the shipping channel was upgraded, brought in extra equipment, and brought in extra tugs.

At the same time, the Nigeria Export Processing Zone Authority (NEPZA) worked literally 24/7 coordinating government agencies in the zone. So, it really took a village to make this happen and the success is a mile stone that shows that more and more projects like this can be done not just in Lagos but across the country.

Click here to read the full interview at thecable.ng