One of Africa’s most important strategic industries is providing a rich stream of work for the continent’s scaffolding firms
The oil and gas sector has long supported many of the region’s major economies, such as Nigeria, Angola, Algeria and Egypt.
Continued growth in these countries and the emergence of other, newer producer markets is resulting in an opportunity for ambitious scaffolding contractors.
In Equatorial Guinea, which has been an oil and gas producer since the late nineties, indigenous service company, Apex Industries, is stepping up its profile in this segment. The company has signed a deal with the Duscaff Organisation, a joint international scaffolding supply company headquartered in Dubai. The deal covers the supply of scaffolding products that comply with the very best in industry and global norms.
“Apex is determined to work with the oil sector and build alliances with international companies to add value to Equatorial Guinea’s economy,” said Apex chief executive Leoncio Amada Nze. “This partnership allows us to gain the know-how from a reputable industry leader like Duscaff and work with them to create jobs for our people.”
The agreement means Apex Industries and the Duscaff Organisation will be able to support ongoing and future construction and industrial projects both in Equatorial Guinea itself and across the Economic Community of Central African States (CEMAC) region.
Local Content
Such agreements raise the bar in terms of standards and credibility, a boost not only for oil and gas project developers, but also for the local scaffolding industry. Indeed, the use of scaffolding services for the oil and gas industry is something being nurtured by host governments in a bid to drive local content.
One of West Africa’s more recent oil exporters is Ghana, which has seen a huge growth in its energy industry in the wake of a succession of discoveries over the past decade.
Scaffolding is one of the specific niches reserved for local players in the development of energy projects. Kwasi Agyeman Manu Senya, business advisory and enterprise development manager at the Petroleum Commission is keen to encourage more Ghanaian firms to take advantage of the opportunity as the oil sector expands.
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