The Guardian’s Special Focus and Nigeria’s Most Impactful and Award-Winning CEOs In 2021: Part 2
JERRY UWANGUE: “We are well positioned to execute projects in the Upstream and Downstream Sectors.”
SUNDAY Vanguard, March 16, 2022, PAGE 19
Jerry Uwangue is the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of J&G Engineering and Construction Services Limited – one of Nigeria’s fastest growing and most dynamic operator in the Oil and Gas Sector with operations cutting across engineering, construction, procurement, maintenance, marine services, personnel outsourcing and project management.
With a mind-set that innovatively challenges the norm which earned him a glittering career in the energy sector, Uwangue embarked on an entrepreneurial quest to pursue the vision that birthed J&G Engineering and Construction Services in 2009. He knew the journey would not be all rosy, but with dedication to quality service delivery, hard work and upholding the virtues of integrity, he has been able to build a solid reputation in the industry which has earned the company strategic partnerships with Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), International Oil Companies (IOCs), as well as indigenous players in the industry.
According to him, “entrepreneurship is a risky venture where success is never assured. However, he is driven by the need to achieve success where others have failed which is expressed in the search for new and better solutions, and the ability to deliver these solutions through his company.
With the drive to pursue our vision and achieve excellence, we have today become one of the most equipped oil and gas services provider with highly skilled and experienced manpower. Our technical partnership with OEMs has also helped us to expand our scope to include Fabrication & Surface Coating services.
We have the right people, working environment, motivation and the expertise that help us to consistently deliver highly cost-effective engineering solutions, using the latest technology, cutting edge industry process, sophisticated software and modern in-house processes to execute our clients’ project in the upstream and downstream sectors of the Nigerian oil and gas industry.”
Reacting to the signing of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) which lingered for over a decade, Uwangue applauded the move describing it as an open door of opportunities for indigenous firms given the recent divestments by IOCs from onshore and shallow-water oil blocks.
In his words, “There is a huge expectation for indigenous companies to gain significant entrance into meaningful petroleum operations. As a leading indigenous EPCM (Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Maintenance) company, with wide range of experience within the oil, gas and power sectors of the Nigerian economy, we are positioned with resource allocation preparation, relevant permits, licenses and of course the development of a highly skilled team.”
In its commitment to promoting local content, J&G Engineering and Construction Services Limited has incorporated the local content initiative into its corporate business strategy in its bid to contribute its fair share to the sustainable development of Nigeria in general and project host communities in particular.
Uwangue commended the management of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) since inception “for creating value across the energy sector, creating jobs and building capacity. The pioneer Executive Secretary of the Board, Ernest Nwapa once revealed that Nigeria recorded an estimated capital flight of about $380 billion between 1956 when oil was discovered and time the Act was initiated in 2006. However, the situation has changed since the signing into law of the Nigerian Content Bill, in April 2010.”
Analysing the current challenges affecting the industry, the J&G boss explained that oil dependency has become a curse owing to the inability of successive administrations to diversify the economy, which in turn has brought about some challenges in the sector. He pointed out the Niger-Delta crisis and advised government to sustain its efforts to resolving the problems with the continuation of the Amnesty Program, which has seen most of the Niger Delta youths rehabilitated and sent outside the country for training and capacity building.
Equally, he wanted government to pay more attention to the issues of underfunding which can be tackled using models like the PSC terms and Modified Carried Agreement (MCA) with MOCs to provide permanent solutions.
He added that “Typically, the process of contract award in the Nigerian oil and gas upstream sector is tedious and lengthy. The duration of contract award between initiation and eventual execution of the agreement could take as much as 36 months in some cases. This could affect the project economics of contracts. With regard to this, MOCs should kick-start contract award process well in advance of commencement of project to ensure that all regulatory and contractual approval processes are complied with before actual project execution.
Having executed a number of high-profile projects with perfection in the Oil Industry with a clientele that keeps growing, Uwangue informed that the goal of J&G Engineering is to provide optimal engineering solutions to its clients through well-structured, strategic channels to enable the company respond effectively and efficiently as it aims to expand its portfolio in the years ahead.”
