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Congo - Developing local skills

Boosting local industry

As was in the past, Total E&P Congo is partnering with local subcontractors for its Moho Nord project. This partnership entails a transfer of skills and training for local SMEs. Subcontractors Serge Mberi and Herman Loemba tell their story.

Total has confidence in the skills of our local technicians, which is encouraging for the future of our country.

Serge Mberi CEO of Chapet Congo

 “We work on various projects with Total through Technip, a company operating at Moho Nord, but also as a direct subcontractor”, says Serge Mberi, CEO of Chapet Congo, a local construction and civil engineering company. This partnership has grown in just a year and a half; we’ve already won about 30 contracts, including restoration of the facade of the Total E&P Congo head office, renovation of the school in Djeno and creation of plant barriers of the Djeno oil terminal. Local teams participate in each project, which fosters the development of the Congolese economy. “The fact that we’re a Total preferred supplier has increased our turnover by 40% in just over a year”, says Mberi. “We’ve hired about 60 new employees and should top 100 by the end of the year.”

The country’s young people play an important role on the modern Moho Nord project’s work site.

Herman Loemba Quality Engineer at Technip

A partnership based on dialogue and training

In order to deploy its As part of its local subcontractors programme, Total E&P Congo asks its direct and indirect subcontractors to commit to ambitious skill-transfer initiatives. This is how, Herman Loemba, a quality engineer at Chapet Congo, was assigned to the Technip site to work with Total on the Moho Nord project. His experience, he says, was very enriching: “I have eight years’ experience in quality control but my participation in the Moho Nord project allows me to  broaden my horizons. This is the first time that I  play a part inthe prefabrication and creation of new structures. My managers have also signed me up for a training course that will help me obtain the COFREND certification in non-destructive testing of magnetic particles, which is a real benefit for me.”
“For my part, I had the opportunity to take a six-month training course in management, accounting, marketing, risk management and other subjects”, says Mberi. “That should help us become more competitive.