Marconi.NG EPC Limited has strengthened its status as a major player in Nigeria’s oil and gas services sector following its acquisition of Saipem Contracting Nigeria’s Rumuolumeni Yard.

During a facility tour by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and select journalists in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, the company said it is now better positioned to support Nigeria’s oil and gas industry with world-class engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) capabilities.

Chief Executive Officer of Marconi, Mr. Gian Fabio Del Cioppo, said the yard spans over 1,000,000 square meters and includes a 330-meter jetty, enabling the fabrication of more than 25,000 tons of heavy structures annually.

He described the facility as one of Nigeria’s most advanced fabrication yards, equipped to handle complex capital projects onshore and offshore.
Marconi acquired the assets of Saipem in May 2025, marking a strategic expansion that aligns with Federal Government efforts to attract investment, lower production costs and speed up field development.

He emphasised that Marconi’s equipment, technical capacity and skilled workforce place it in a strong position to deliver high-quality projects at competitive costs and timelines—consistent with Presidential directives on local content and the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act of 2010.

He urged government and industry players to sustain momentum on local content implementation, warning against any rollback of the progress achieved over the last 15 years.

Nigerian Content Manager of Marconi, Dr. David Editang, highlighted that the company retained local experts who had operated the facility for decades, ensuring continuity and deep expertise.

General Manager of NCDMB’s Corporate Communications Division, Dr. Obinna Ezeobi, who led the tour, said Marconi is now capable of operating across the full oil and gas value chain—from land and swamp operations to deep offshore fields.

He added that the visit aligns with Sections 67 and 70(n) of the NOGICD Act, which mandate the Board to promote Nigerian Content through communication, stakeholder engagement and capacity building.

Dr. Ezeobi noted the importance of media practitioners in accurately reporting industry developments and stressed the Board’s commitment to sustained engagement with journalists in Port Harcourt, Lagos, Abuja and other regions.

A broad Coalition of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) who participated in the recent public hearing on the National Social Security Trust Fund (NSSTF) Bill organised by Senate Committee on Employment, Labour and Productivity, has expressed deep concern over disturbing developments surrounding the legislative process. The coalition said it has become aware of credible reports that the management of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) allegedly hired and sponsored certain CSOs to speak in support of their position at the hearing.

According to the coalition, this alleged sponsorship was a deliberate attempt to weaken and strangulate the statutory role of the Governing Board, while simultaneously empowering the management to operate without adequate oversight. The group lamented that such actions, clearly point to an agenda aimed at giving management the unchecked freedom to mismanage and possibly divert the resources of the Fund, a pattern that has been associated with past leadership of the NSITF.

The coalition further warned against the proposed removal of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) from the Governing Board of the NSSTF. They described the move as a dangerous red flag that only reinforces suspicions of an orchestrated plan to compromise transparency and accountability in the management of the Fund.

According to the coalition:

“Taking SEC out of the Governing Board is not only illogical but amounts to an open confirmation of the organization’s plan to mismanage the Fund. SEC plays a critical regulatory role, and removing them at a time when Nigeria is struggling with limited financial resources raises serious concerns about the intentions behind the bill.”

The coalition aligned its concerns with the positions already taken by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), both of whom have publicly demanded that the bill be stepped down due to the sensitive issues surrounding it.

The coalition warned that if these critical red flags are not properly addressed by the National Assembly, they will be left with no other option but to embark on a massive, peaceful protest to drive home their concerns and protect the integrity of Nigeria’s social security system.

The group emphasized that the future of the Fund, the confidence of Nigerian workers, and the credibility of social protection institutions must not be jeopardized by actions that appear to prioritize personal or organizational interests over national interest.

A coalition of some civil society organizations has issued a seven-day ultimatum on individuals, group or cartel still engaged in any form of campaign of calumny, blackmail, and economic sabotage against the Dangote Refinery and Nigeria’s energy independence.

This was made known in Abuja, Tuesday, in a statement issued during a press conference addressed by Ikechukwu Chukwunyere, national president of Bloggers and Vloggers, Content Creators Association in Nigeria (BAVCCA) and Husseini Abubakar, national president the Coalition of Civil Society Organisations in Nigeria (COCSON).

The groups warned the supposed perpetrators of economic sabotage to henceforth cease every form of negative propaganda, false data dissemination, and sponsorship of anti-Dangote Refinery narratives across traditional and social media as well as stop lobbying for the continuation of fuel importation and the suspension or reversal of protective policies for local refineries.

The statement reads: “If, by 12:01 am on Tuesday, 25th November 2025, you have not desisted, we will have no choice but to begin a phased naming and shaming campaign at our national summit scheduled for Saturday 22nd November, 2025. We will release names, photographs, companies, bank records where necessary, and documented evidence of individuals and entities involved no matter how highly placed.

“For those of you hiding inside government circles, know this: President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has shown in words and deeds that he is a President who positively impacts the lives of Nigerians and has zero tolerance for corruption and sabotage. We have already submitted detailed petitions to the Presidency, the EFCC, the ICPC, the DSS, and the National Assembly demanding immediate investigation into this conspiracy. Those found culpable will be removed, prosecuted, and made to face the full wrath of the law.

“The National Summit will hold in Abuja on 22nd November 2025, it is designed to expose the wrath in the oil sector and why petroleum importers wants to strangulate the local refiners, it also seeks strengthen public understanding of the energy sector through data presentations, practical content creation workshops, and an interactive town hall. Its key outputs, including a digital toolkit for creators, the Energy Truth Badge, and a live fact checking app, will equip thousands of online influencers to promote accurate information. Supported by strong media partnerships and attracting over a million virtual participants, the summit aims to reshape national conversations with verified facts”.

They stated that Dangote Refinery is not Aliko Dangote’s personal property, but a national asset that Nigerians should defend with everything they have, and vowed that through their platforms, voices, protests if necessary, and votes, they would ensure that no cabal succeeds in turning back the clock on Nigeria’s progress.

They made a passionate appeal to President Tinubu to personally intervene through outright ban on fuel importation not just suspension of the 15 percent import duty, direct that only locally refined products be sold in Nigeria as long as local production exceeds demand, set up a special task force to investigate and prosecute economic saboteurs in the downstream sector.

“Fellow Nigerians, the battle for affordable fuel, stable economy, and true independence has entered its final stage. This is not Dangote’s fight alone – it is our fight. We will not relent. We will not surrender. We will win”.

They observed that as of today, the Dangote Refinery is loading and dispatching more than 104 million litres of refined petroleum products daily, over 57 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), Jet fuel 20 million litres and 27 million litres of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) totaling 104 million litres of petroleum products, saying this volume exceeds Nigeria’s total national daily consumption of approximately 70–75 million litres.

According to them, “In plain language: We have more than enough locally refined fuel for every car, truck, generator, and factory in Nigeria. Fuel importation is no longer a necessity, it is now a choice. And that choice is being made only by those who profit from our collective suffering.

“Furthermore, we must address and debunk recent misleading claims, such as those from Festus Osifo, President of PENGASSAN, suggesting that the refinery’s output meets only about 40% of national needs. This is simply not true. As of November 2025, the Dangote Refinery’s production is at 100% or more of Nigeria’s requirements, rendering such assertions outdated and inaccurate”, the coalition averred.