The business mission of the Eleme Petrochemicals Company is to profitably manufacture a range of petrochemical products and to market these products locally and abroad.

BRIEF HISTORY

The need for a Petrochemicals Industry in Nigeria was conceived for quite a long time. It was however, not until 1978 that the idea of using some refinery by-products as feedstock to produce some petrochemical products was conceptualized.

Due to the capital-intensive nature of the Petrochemical Industry, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) adopted a phased approach in the establishment of Up-Stream Petrochemicals Plants.

EPCL's Plant commenced operations with a total number of 1,376 staff, made up of 138 expatriates Technical Back-Up Services (TBS), and 1,246 Nigerian Staff. The Technical Back-Up Services were provided by Foster Wheeler Management Operations Ltd. UK (31), Technimont SpA, Italy, (66), and Comerint SpA , Italy (33).

Some Nigerian staff were trained in similar facilities abroad while bulk of the Nigeran Operations and Maintenance staff were trained at the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI), Warri and at the Kaduna, Warri and Port Harcourt Refineries.
However, in 1999 EPCL started a gradual phase-out of the TBS Personnel as most Nigerian staff gained adequate experience on the operation and maintenance of the Plants.

At 138 expatriate TBS Personnel the cost of about $2 million per month was abominable as it had negative impact on the cost of operations and cash flow for the Company. Today, the cost stands at about $0.64 million for 43 TBS Personnel.

Historically, the Eleme Petrochemicals Complex Project was started in the Project Engineering Division of the NNPC under Mr. S. A. Kufeji as the General Manager, championed by Dr. E. I.Onyia, as Manager Petrochemicals.

In early 1982, the Petrochemicals Division of the NNPC was created, with Mr. 0. 0. Lolomari as the General Manager, while Dr. E. I. Onyia continued his lead push for the petrochemicals programme. Later that year, NNPC signed the Consultancy Agreement with Foster Wheeler International Corporation of Reading, UK.

Following a major re-organization of NNPC in October 1985, Dr.T. M. John was appointed the co-ordinator of the Petrochemical Sector. During another restructuring of the NNPC in 1988, Dr. T. M. John became the first Managing Director of Eleme Petrochemicals Company Limited (EPCL).

Chief Chamberlain 0. Oyibo became the second Managing Director of EPCL in April, 1990, when Dr. T. M. John moved on to NNPC Corporate Headquarters as the Group Managing Director of NNPC. It was during Chief Oyibo's tenure that the Foundation Stone of the Eleme Petrochemicals Company Limited was laid.

In December 1991, Chief Oyibo moved to Lagos to become first, Group Executive Director, Upstream and Gas, and later the Group Managing Director of NNPC in 1993. Dr. Edet I. Oahimin-Akhimien, took over from Chief Oyibo as the third Managing Director of EPCL in 1992, and piloted the construction of the Complex until August 7, 1995, when he handed over to Dr. Andrew C. Uzoigwe as the Managing Director who was also the first Project Coordinator of the Project. In 1999, Dr Andrew C. Uzoigwe moved to the Corporate Headquarters as a Group Executive Director, Exploration and Production, and handed over to Dr. Dennar the present Managing Director of Ihe Eleme Petrochemicals Company Limited.

The Complex is of great strategic importance to the country.

epcl sets out:

To provide basic Petrochemicals Raw Materials locally.
To utilize the Nation's abundant Natural Gas Resources, which would otherwise be flared.
To provide job opportunities. (A United Nations Study indicates that in developing countries, one job in a Petrochemicals Complex of this type generates on the average, seven additional jobs outside), due to downstream activities.
To save foreign exchange via Import substitution.
To act as a catalyst to Nigeria's industrial expansion and diversification of the economy.
To enhance the acquisition of modern technology and know-how in the country.
The Eleme Petrochemicals Complex is the second phase of the development programme of the Petrochemkals Industry in Nigeria.

Contact Address:

Headquarters & Plant
East West Road, Eleme
P.M.B. 1515
Port Harcourt, Rivers State
Tel: (084) 239318/9
Fax: (084) 235749
Public Affairs Dept: (084) 234669