Epenal Partners Guinean Defence on Maritime Safety

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

 A Nigerian marine company, Epenal Group, has expressed delight as it partners the Defence Ministry of Equatorial Guinea for the provision of gunboats and other services to aid their marine operations.

The Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer of Epenal Group, Mr. Numo Lele Aaron, stated this yesterday when the Vice Minister of National Security of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Fortunato Nsue, led other members of his team to the company’s corporate office and show house in Port Harcourt, River State.

Aaron said for the government of the West African nation to form partnership with a Nigerian firm means that they are comfortable with the gunboats and other marine gadgets built by the company.

He said: “Members of the Equatorial Guinean delegation are here because they have seen what we are doing and they are in love with it.” 

“We produce boats of different kinds and other marine equipment.

“For the Government of Equatorial Guinea to come to Epenal Group shows that Nigeria can do things even better than some of the people who bring things here to us from outside the country,” he stated.

He, however, called on the government to partner more local producers to boost the Nigerian economy, saying that: “Now you can see that we can produce this things; we are employing people and boosting the Nigerian economy.”

Speaking on how the partner engaged Epenal, Aaron explained that:  “They have seen our activities with the Nigeria Navy so they decided to come and see for themselves and today they have decided to acquire this boats from us. They are here for business and we are also making Nigeria proud in the comity of nations.”

Aaron added: “Equatorial Guinea are here which shows that we are not just producing for Nigeria alone but we are going to West Africa and Central Africa.”

Earlier, leader of the Equatorial Guinea delegation, Fortunato Nsue, said they are happy with the reception by the Nigerian company and facilities they have seen on ground.

Nsue, who spoke through an interpreter, said they were sent by the government to inspect facilities and equipment at the company, expressing delight that a Nigerian firm can manufacture military gunboats and other marine equipment.