Nigeria’s renewed effort to reduce production costs, speed up oil and gas field development, and attract new investments has received fresh support as Marconi.NG EPC Limited restated its commitment to delivering world-class engineering, procurement and construction projects at competitive cost and faster timelines.
The commitment was made during a facility tour organised by the Corporate Communications Division of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, NCDMB, which took selected journalists to key oil and gas service facilities in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The tour was part of the Board’s ongoing engagement with the media to showcase Nigerian-owned capacity across the energy value chain.
Marconi.NG, which is now a wholly Nigerian-owned engineering company, recently acquired the Rumuolumeni fabrication yard from Saipem Contracting Nigeria in May 2025. Speaking during the tour, the Chief Executive Officer of Marconi.NG EPC Limited, Mr Gian Fabio Del Cioppo, said the acquisition marked a major milestone for local capacity development in the oil and gas sector.
He disclosed that the Rumuolumeni Yard covers more than one million square metres of land and includes a 330-metre-long jetty. According to him, the facility has the capacity to fabricate over 25,000 tonnes of heavy steel structures annually, making it one of the largest and most advanced fabrication yards in Nigeria and the wider West African region.
Del Cioppo explained that the yard is fully equipped to handle complex onshore and offshore EPC projects, including fabrication, integration, storage and load-out of large oil and gas structures. He said Marconi’s strength lies in a combination of legacy infrastructure, proven engineering expertise and a highly skilled Nigerian workforce.
According to him, these capabilities allow the company to deliver high-quality projects that meet international standards while maintaining globally competitive costs and schedules. He added that Marconi’s operations are aligned with the Presidential Directives on Nigerian Content and the provisions of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act, NOGICD Act, 2010.
The Marconi chief executive urged the Federal Government and industry stakeholders to remain consistent in supporting local content development. He warned that reversing the progress achieved over the past 15 years could undermine Nigeria’s industrial growth, job creation efforts and value retention objectives.
“Marconi is ready to support Nigeria’s drive for industrialisation, job creation and local value retention,” Del Cioppo said, adding that strong local EPC capacity is essential for reducing project costs and improving project delivery timelines in the oil and gas industry.
Also speaking during the tour, the Nigerian Content Manager at Marconi, Mr David Editang, said the company retained the core professionals who previously operated the yard. He noted that many of these personnel have decades of experience executing oil and gas projects to global standards, both within Nigeria and internationally.
Editang explained that the facility’s jetty infrastructure enables full fabrication and load-out operations for offshore structures, eliminating the need to move components to foreign yards. He said this capability significantly reduces logistics costs and project delays, while keeping more value within the Nigerian economy.
Marconi has already commenced new operations at the yard, including the First Steel Cutting Ceremony for subsea structures linked to a major offshore oil and gas development in Nigeria. Industry observers see this as a sign of renewed activity at the facility following its transition to Nigerian ownership.
Historically, the Rumuolumeni Yard has played a role in several landmark oil and gas projects in Nigeria. These include the Egina Floating Production Storage and Offloading project, the Usan offshore development, the Akpo field project, and the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas, NLNG, Train 7 project. Stakeholders say these projects underline the strategic importance of the yard to Nigeria’s energy infrastructure.
The NCDMB delegation on the tour was led by the General Manager of Corporate Communications, Mr Obinna Ezeobi. He said Marconi now has the asset base and technical capacity to operate across the full spectrum of the oil and gas value chain. According to him, this includes land and swamp operations, as well as shallow water and deep offshore projects.
Ezeobi explained that the media tour was part of the Board’s statutory responsibility to promote Nigerian Content through information sharing and capacity building. He referenced Sections 67 and 70(n) of the NOGICD Act, which mandate the Board to support local content development through strategic communication and stakeholder engagement.
He noted that journalists play an important role in shaping public understanding of the oil and gas industry and its impact on the economy. According to him, the NCDMB’s media engagements in Port Harcourt, Lagos and Abuja are designed to strengthen industry reporting and improve awareness of Nigerian-owned capabilities.
Industry stakeholders say Marconi’s renewed investment in fabrication capacity, combined with the NCDMB’s continued support for local companies, positions Nigeria to expand domestic capability, reduce capital flight and improve investor confidence. They also note that stronger local EPC capacity could help accelerate project approvals and execution, particularly as Nigeria competes for global energy capital.
As the country works to balance cost efficiency, energy security and local participation, developments such as the Marconi acquisition are being closely watched. While challenges remain in the operating environment, stakeholders believe sustained policy support and private sector investment could help Nigeria unlock greater value from its oil and gas resources.
