By Grace Ademulegun
The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has implored the federal government to the Birogo River in Bayelsa State to open Yenagoa, the state capital, as maritime and oil business hub.
The plea was made by Barr. Esueme Kikile, General Manager of Corporate Communications and Zonal Coordination at NCDMB, during a Practical Nigerian Content program tour of the First Marine Engineering Services (FMES) logistics site.
Kikile emphasised the significance of dredging the river, pointing out that better access to Bayelsa will stimulate economic growth by reviving logistics services and making it easier to conduct business in the state’s swampy and coastal regions.
He reiterated the Board’s dedication to working with government organisations to make the project a reality, saying that NCDMB does not have the capacity to carry out the dredging directly.
He commended the FMES logistics base for its improvements in services and capacity since First oy was purchased it in 2018, urging oil firms in the Delta, Rivers, and Bayelsa states to use the facility to support their activities.
The facility, according to officials, offers a one-stop shop for shore-based logistics services, such as petroleum storage, warehousing, jetty services, and marine load-out.
FMES’s Director of Projects and Operations, Engr. Joseph Uwuigbe, said the base provides load-out services to oil fields in the states of Bayelsa, Rivers, and Delta and is located about 20 nautical miles from the open sea.
He said with the help of substantial warehousing and specialised equipment, it also offers lodging, catering, marine refuelling, and petroleum product trans-loading.