The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has commissioned Amal Technologies Gas Leak Detection Device and Printed Circuit Board Manufacturing Facility at Idu, Abuja, in furtherance of its sustained efforts to tackle the growing oil leakages and thefts in the hydrocarbon resources industry in the country.
In his remarks at the ceremony, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri described the commissioning as a major landmark in the nation’s quest to promote a research and development (R&D) culture through the nurturing of innovation-driven startup companies, and represented a breakthrough in local manufacturing of electronic circuitry and devices.
Represented at the even by the Director Upstream in the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Engr. Kamoru Busari, the Minister noted that Amal Technologies was one of the proposals that had benefited from the NCDMB Research and Innovation intervention, pointing out that the device has capacity to generate a short message system (SMS) and calls on the phones of homeowners in the event of a gas leak and that the facility has the capability for Printed Circuit Board (PCB) manufacturing.
Lokpobiri explained that the deployment of the gas leak detection device provided a significant safety tool that would accelerate the adoption of gas as a preferred source of energy for homes, transportation, and industry even he added that the job creation potential of Amal Technologies was critical to the creation of a circular economy and aligns with Mr. President’s 8-point agenda for economic recovery.
In his keynote address, the Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, said that the smart gas leak detector research was just a proposal submitted to the Board in 2018, pointing out that “the idea was nurtured through the NCDMB incubation process hosted in the Board’s Technology Innovation and Incubation Center (TIIC).
“The recurring menace of gas leaks and explosions leading to heavy losses in human lives, property damage, and pollution of the environment is the problem statement that the device seeks to address”, Ogbe added.
The Executive Secretary said that Nigeria’s development priorities were trending towards gas-based industrialization with an exponential increase in gas utilization, hence it had become compelling to deploy safety and preventive tools such as the Amal smart gas leak detection to ensure the safety of lives and properties as the citizens embrace gas usage.
On PCB manufacturing, Ogbe explained that electronics accounted for the largest online spending in Nigeria in 2022 and the Amal technology facility would provide the springboard for the replacement of imported PCBs with locally produced PCBs, in line with the Board’s vision to be the catalyst for the industrialization of the Nigerian economy and its linkage sectors.
The industry expert further clarified: “This facility will also generate employment opportunities, pay due taxes, and provide a critical platform for instrumentation and electronics-related Research and development.”
On why the Board invested in Amal Technologies, Ogbe hinted that NCDMB had developed a strategic roadmap and focused on the establishment of dedicated funds to support Research, the inauguration of the Nigerian Content Research Council & Technical Advisory Board, and the establishment of Research centres of Excellence among others.
According to him, the need to focus on research commercialization is amplified in the NCDMB Technology Innovation and Incubation policy, which created the TIIC inside the Nigerian Content Towers Yenagoa.
In his remarks, the Chief Executive Officer of Amal Technologies, Mr. Shehu Abdullahi, recalled how he secured the Board’s support for the project without having any prior relationship with any member of the agency’s management.
He said: “The NCDMB is not about having connections or knowing someone at the top. It is about a team of people that are dedicated to the success and progress of local content in Nigeria. Their firmness and dedication to local content continue to give me hope for the country of Nigeria.”
The industry expert recalled that Amal Technologies had, over the last three years, secured two patents and disrupted traditional approaches to research and development, expressing hope that with the full support of NCDMB, the company would make lasting contributions to various sectors of the economy, including oil and gas, power, agriculture, and beyond.
Abdullahi maintained that apart from producing the Gas Detection device, the “facility has the capacity to produce over two million Advanced Smart Electric Meters— a significant contribution to the federal government’s National Mass Metering Program (NMMP). This initiative aligns with the company’s commitment to address the current challenges in electrical metering in Nigeria and supporting the government’s efforts to ensure a reliable and efficient power supply.”
He also said that the facility held immense potential for other sectors, including automobile manufacturing, medical advancements, telecommunications, agriculture, and more.
