African Countries Envious Of Nigeria’s Local Contents Mgt Strides-Minister
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- NCDMB To Open Offices in Rivers, A’Ibom, Delta
Many countries in the African continent are envious of the strides recorded by Nigeria in its local contents management and are willing to go through the learning curve under the tutelage of Nigerian experts, says the minister of state for petroleum resources(oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri.
Even as he acknowledged their phenomenal records, Lokpobiri wants drivers of the nation’s local contents policy initiative, the Nigerian Contents Development Management Board, NCDMB, to break new grounds to ensure sustainability.
The minister spoke on Tuesday in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, at the opening of the 13th edition of the Practical Nigerian Content Forum, where he also explained the divestment of International Oil Companies from Nigeria, saying the IOCs only left onshore to offshore operations, without hurting the country’s oil and gas sector.
He said it was possible for local oil firms to take over onshore operations of the affected oil firms because of the local contents policy. According to Lokpobiri, even though Nigeria was on the right path, there was the need to sustain current gains.
The minister said the successful management of the local contents policy was Nigeria’s gift to Africa. He commended the NCDMB management for making the country proud.
Acting governor of the state, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, in declaring the forum open, urged the Board to engage grassroots stakeholders by incorporating diverse perspectives towards ensuring that their strategies were inclusive and reflective of the aspirations of all Nigerians.
Ewhrudjakpo who was in his elements laced his address with intermittent proverbs, just as he
urged participants to move beyond dialogue to implementation, with a view to ensuring positive changes.
According to him, “leveraging technology and empowering local talent will create a vibrant ecosystem that promotes creativity, entrepreneurship and sustainable development. Bayelsa remains steadfast in its collaboration with the NCDMB and other credible partners across various sectors such as energy, agriculture, healthcare and tourism which aligns with the state’s ASSURED Prosperity Agenda.
“Let us focus on building resilient and sustainable frameworks that enable communities to actively participate in emerging sectors particularly the digital economy. This will ensure shared prosperity and a future where no one is left behind.
“Together, we can redefine the landscape of Nigerian content implementation. By fostering innovation, inclusivity, and strategic partnerships, we can unlock new frontiers for growth and sustainable development.”
In his keynote address, Executive Secretary of the NCDMB, Felix Ogbe, spoke on the progress made by the Board under his leadership, saying some state offices of the board would soon be open in Akwa Ibom, Rivers and Delta States for ease of operations. He said the Board planned to pay attention some more attention to youths in the host communities in what he called the back to the creek Initiative. “This initiative aligns closely with the mandate of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, to create an enabling environment for businesses to thrive
“This initiative will be implemented in three phases: first, the improvement of primary education infrastructure; next, the enhancement of secondary education; and finally, providing scholarships and facilitating employment opportunities for top-performing students from oil-producing communities.”
Ogbe said part of the efforts made to sustain the gains made in the last 13 years was the birth of the Nigerian Content Academy. “This academy is a cornerstone of our commitment to enhancing local capacity in the oil and gas industry, in line with the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act of 2010.
“The Nigerian Content Academy is also a beacon of hope for employment. Our training programs are designed to prepare Nigerians for a variety of roles within the sector, opening doors to new career paths and economic opportunities for local communities.
“Our academy offers a range of courses that cover every aspect of the oil and gas industry, from upstream exploration to downstream processing.
“As part of our commitment to further deepen Nigerian content in the oil and gas industry, we are committing to developing more conducive and befitting Zonal Offices.
“This will enable us to deploy our personnel across various Directorates to operate fully from our Zonal offices thereby making the Zonal offices to be fully operational.”
The minister of petroleum resources (gas), Obong Ekperikpe Ekpo, in a goodwill message said the PNC was a major achievement by the NCDMB as it has grown to be a vital component of the Nigerian oil and gas sector’s advancement through sustainable local content policies.
“The theme of this year’s conference, “Advancing Local Content for a Sustainable Energy Future,” is a call to action and a reaffirmation of Nigeria’s commitment to leveraging our local capabilities to drive energy security, economic growth, and environmental sustainability.
“Under the exemplary leadership of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, the Ministry of Petroleum Resources – gas is aligning its policies with the aspirations of Nigerians, ensuring that local content remains a priority in all facets of our energy strategy,” he said.
