Chinese firm to build leading steel pipe plant in Nigeria

LAGOS, Dec. 16  -- Chinese steel pipe manufacturer, Jiangsu Yulong Group, on Wednesday held a groundbreaking ceremony for a large-scale factory in Nigeria's Lagos Lekki Free Trade Zone.

The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by government officials, Chinese envoys and representatives from private companies.

Jiangsu Yulong Group, which was listed on China's Shanghai Stock Exchange in November, 2011, is exploiting international market, according to Willy Wen, the company's deputy general manger.

He told Xinhua in an interview the Yulong Lekki project, consisting three phases of investment, would be "the No.1 complex welding and seamless pipe manufacturer in Nigeria."

He put the first phase of investment at 50 million U.S. dollars, which would construct a Submerged Arc Welded Pipe production unit with designed capacity of 150,000 tons annually.

The second phase of about 60 million dollars, he said, would build an advanced equipped steel pipe production unit with another production capacity of 150,000 tons yearly.

The third phase would establish an OCTG (tubing, casing, drill pipe and line pipe) production unit and matching equipment valued at 10 million dollars, he said.

He said the project would boost Nigeria's oil and gas industries when completed.

The Consul-General of the Chinese Consulate in Lagos, Liu Kan, said at the ceremony the project was an important part of China-Nigeria industrial cooperation which would bring win-win benefit.

The project, which encompasses 180,000 square meters, is expected to create employment for over 1,000 local people and will enhance modern technology transfer by training engineers in the steel fabrication business.

The steel pipe plant, upon completion, will be one of the largest heavy industry plant in Nigeria.