IIW History 1990-2015

IIW Member SAIW hosted an NDT training course for a group of students from across Africa, supported by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

Through NIW’s prominent role as a leader in the attainment of welding technologies it was well positioned to take on the responsibility of becoming a ‘champion’ for the development of welding expertise and technology diffusion in the region. Ideally placed geographically, at the centre of the oil and gas industry in the Niger Delta, NIW was able to source funding through partnerships with the United Nations and other stakeholders, such as Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), to set up a NIW Centre of Excellence in Welding which, when fully operational, was to provide a full range of facilities in the region, including research, weld testing, non-destructive testing and training. 23 Nigeria’s first IIW International Congress was scheduled to be held in the Niger Delta but because of security problems it was shifted to Abuja, the capital of Nigeria, which

underlined the always-present problems that African countries could experience when putting together events of this nature. Mr Robert Shaw (USA) was to graphically illustrate the true meaning of this when a core group from IIW, including Ms Anne Rorke (Australia) and Mr Ernest Levert (USA), climbed into their transport vehicle. Two heavily armed guards then occupied the rear. Shaw echoed everyone’s thoughts at the time – ‘What have we got ourselves into?’ 24 In willingly taking on the role of ‘champion’ for the West Africa region NIW, through its forthright President, Dr Solomon Iyobosa Edebiri, was to establish the West African Welding Federation (WAWF) with five countries as pioneer members, in addition to acting as the ‘midwife’

Solomon Edebiri

EMERGING NATIONS