The British Integrated Solutions Export Network (BISEN) consortium visited Lagos on board HMS Iron Duke in July 2014. Since then, Griffon Hoverwork Ltd has hosted several visits from Nigerian delegations at its Southampton Headquarters.

The inwards visits have been supported by the UK Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy for Nigeria, David Heath MP, and by BISEN’s Market Development Forum Co-Chairs Nick MacLeod-Ash (BISEN Ltd) and Tim Maile (UK Home Office).

Support to demonstrating the capability solutions on offer has been provided by the Royal Navy and Royal Marines. These capability solutions are an essential part of the implementation programme of the UK National Strategy for Maritime Security, designed to help countries like Nigeria access new technologies, training and support for their own national and regional capacity building programmes.

The first of the return visits from the Nigerian delegations was from Professor Niyi Ayoola Daniels, President of the International Institute for Petroleum Energy Law & Policy (IIPELP) in September 2014. Just six months later, Griffon Hovercraft secured their first contract with one of the IIPELP operating companies, Petgas Global Consulting Limited, to help assess how hovercraft could support the complex logistic requirements of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation’s infrastructure projects.