Emmanuel Nlewedum, Port Harcourt
The Nigerian Corrosion Association, NiCA, has inaugurated a new executives that will pilot the affairs of the association in coming years.
The inauguration was part of activities for the ongoing annual conference of the Nigerian Corrosion Association holding in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, with the theme “Management of Corrosion in the Midstream and Downstream Oil and Gas Industry”, from 21st to 23rd October 2024.
In his acceptance speech, the newly NiCA President, Prof. Auwal Kazim, on behalf of his exco, thanked members and stakeholders of the association for their support and pledged their commitment in taking NiCA to a greater height.
Prof Kazim, while addressing journalists shortly after his inauguration, said NiCA under his leadership would ensure a sustainable collaboration with the government and critical stakeholders in all sectors, especially the oil and gas sector to end the menace of corrosion and it’s negative impact on the country.
He noted that NiCA over the years, has embarked on sensitisation of the masses on the impact of corrosion and cost implications on the nation.
He said, “Corrosion is a menace, but unfortunately there has not been widespread awareness on it. The cost implications, lost of materials and even lives is unimaginable. Right now in the country, we don’t have a documentation on the cost and implications of corrosion and that is why this NiCA is there.
“Over the years, the NiCA has sensitized the public, also, we are in partnership with the Standard Organisation of Nigeria, SON, in order to develop corrosion standard which is lacking in Nigeria.
“The menace of corrosion is all encompassing, it is one that transcends beyond the oil and gas facilities, it is multidimensional, it also affects our homes, and every other all sectors in the country.
“In the oil and gas, transportation and agricultural sectors there is corrosion, in the building and medical sectors, we have equipments that do corrosion, in the household appliances too we have corrosion. Corrosion affects every materials especially metalic materials.”
The new NiCA President however, urged the government to invest in corrosion control in terms of personnel, production (equipments) and research, to enhance the performance of professionals to give better results to the country, and also boost the nation’s economy.
He also advocated for adoption of corrosion as a course in the Nigerian universities to enable the people get wider knowledge corrosion.
“Nigerian universities should start to put on corrosion as a course. As at now, most of the universities do not have corrosion engineering as a course, they just stop at material and methodology, I think other institutions should start establishing this course, its very important.”
He added that, “It is strategically important to engage the major political stakeholders because wherever legislation is involved, it’s needs facilitation.
“The national assembly has to play a crucial role in enforcing verified legislation and also, most of the government agencies should get involved, they need the exact legislation so that people can abide by corrosion standard and we can also have a country where corrosion effect will be seriously mitigated.”
He further stressed that all hands must be on deck to ensure domestication of corrosion knowledge in the country.
Earlier, the immediate past president of the association, Ese Ochoga congratulated the new executive and urged them to carry every member along, just as he enjoined members to support the new NiCA leadership.
He tasked the new executive on improved development of the association.
“We have been able to build up a professional development side of the association to an appreciable level, far beyond where we started in 2019, after a comeback of about ten years of inactivity, and so, haven reached this level, the new executive is expected is to maintain this growth beyond where they met it today.”
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