The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil),Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, on Thursday, December 21, commissioned the Amal Technologies Limited factory for gas leakage and smoke detection devices in Abuja.

The facility which can generate employment for 400 people can also yield $22 million in revenue annually.

The Director, Upstream, Engr. Kamaru Busari, who represented the minister, said the facility was formally established to produce gas leak detection devices and Printed Circuit Boards (PCB).

According to him, the ceremony represents a significant landmark in the administrations quest to promote a Research culture in the oil and gas industry, through the nurturing of innovation-driven startup companies.

He added that it also represents a breakthrough in local manufacturing of electronic circuitry and devices.

The minister said the establishment is in line with the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Boards mandate to drive indigenous technology development in the Nigerian oil and gas industry, saying that the Governing Council of the Board approved the Research and Development roadmap, with a particular focus on providing institutional and funding support for market-driven Research and commercialization of breakthrough innovations with high market prospects.

He called on the private sector, especially the Nigerian oil and gas service providers to follow the lead of NCDMB by funding research and development programs with the capability to develop homegrown technology and reduce capital flight associated with the importation of foreign hardware and software solutions.

Lokpobiri noted that one of the proposals that have benefited from the NCDMB Research and Innovation intervention is the AmalTechnology gas leak device, which adopted the Internet of Things (IoT) to introduce into the market a device that generates a short message system (SMS) and calls on phones of homeowners in the event of a gas leak.

He added that the facility also has thecapability for Printed Circuit Board (PCB) manufacturing.

According to him, a major plank under the renewed hope Agenda of Mr. President is the commitment to deepen Gas penetration and gas-based industrialization anchored on the penetration of Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG), adoption of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) vehicles, and gas conversion for power generation, fertilizer production, among so many other uses of gas.

The minister noted that the deployment of the flagship Amal technology gas leak detection device provides a significant safety tool that will accelerate the adoption of gas as a preferred source of energy for homes, transportation, and industry.

Lokpobiri revealed that the NCDMB Innovation process has led to the establishment of PCB production capability in Nigeria.

The federal government at COP26 in August 2022, he recalled committed to a net-zero targets by 2060 and Nigeria has chosen Natural gas as its transition fuel.

He stressed that to support this initiative, projects are underway to establish fuel-to-gas conversion centres and CNG refuel stations nationally.

The minister said the Federal Government expects that the deployment of the Amal Technology safety device will also complement our efforts to accelerate the net-zero pathway.(The Nation)