Senate local content committee commends NCDMB, pledges support
This came on the heel of the members oversight visit to the local content agency and their being impressed with the work going on to domesticate key activities in the oil and gas sector.
The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) on Thursday in Yenagoa got the thumbs-up from the Senate Committee on Local Content, and an assurance that the Senate would provide adequate legislative support to drive the local content development initiatives of the Board.
Joel-Onowakpo Thomas (Delta South Senatorial), Chairman of the Committee who spoke after an oversight visit to the NCDMB’s facilities and projects sites in Bayelsa State, commended the Board for how it has implemented its enabling statute, the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act, 2010.
He said NCDMB has demonstrated the requisite capacity for actualisation of the objectives of the Act, and that the enabling environment for oil and gas industry operations, growth of indigenous businesses, job creation and development of industry-related skills, would be vigorously pursued by the committee at the National Assembly.
The Chairman reaffirmed President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to growing local capacity in the oil and gas and other sector as a sure way of creating jobs.
Let me say that the benefits of local content cannot be over emphasised. It will lead to the creation of jobs for our people, development of critical assets and skills, growth of local businesses, improve balance of payments and reduction of dependence on foreign goods services, said Senator Thomas.
Continuing, he said: To achieve these benefits, collaborations between the Senate committee and board of the NCDMB is essential as we would work closely with the NCDMB to ensure that the provisions of the Act are implemented effectively. The committee will not only ensure oversight but will also support the board in efforts to develop and implement policies that promote local content development, in addition to our collaboration with the board, we will engage with other stakeholders and create the enabling environment that foster growth for local businesses and promote job creation.
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Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, NCDMB’s Executive Secretary, in his presentation, , provided insights on the NOGICD Act, Nigerian Content implementation framework, expenditure and revenue analysis, business enabler footprint, summary of investments, local content success stories, and local content projections for the oil and gas industry.
Speaking on the Nigerian Content Implementation Framework, Engr. Ogbe highlighted Guidelines and Regulations, drawing attention to policies and tools, which include Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Joint Qualifications System (NOGIC JQS), Nigerian Content Development Fund (NCDF), industry collaboration, as well as gap analysis, among others.
The Executive Secretary, who was represented by the Director of Corporate Affairs, Alhaji Abdulmalik Halilu disclosed the Board has recorded successes in the Nigerian Content Intervention Fund (NCIF) managed by the Bank of Industry (BOI) with over 90 per cent repayment.
Halilu highlighted some recent striking accomplishments of the Board as facilitating of 10,000 metric tonnes (MT) capacity galvanising plant, commissioned at Daewoo Yard, Port Harcourt, which has ramped up local galvanising capacity to over 180,000MT; NEDO 300MMscfd Kwale Gas Gathering Plant, Delta State; NCDMB Nigerian Oil and Gas Parks Scheme (NOGaPS) at Emeyal 1, Bayelsa State, and Odukpani, Cross River State, which are at 90 per cent completion level; 10 megawatt power plant, and EGINA floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) integration facility, the first and largest in Africa.
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Speaking on the next phase, Halilu highlighted the Board’s ongoing construction of the NCDMB gas hub fors-based industries and the work on its eight industrial parks across the country, as well as the human capacity development programme, christened Back-to-the-Creeks Initiative.
He asked the senators to support the Board by excluding the Nigerian Content Development Fund from revenue deductions, in line with Section 104 of the NOGICD Act. The Board would also want the challenge of infrastructure to be addressed as well as a strengthening of local content laws, by ensuring that legislations for the growth of other sectors are properly aligned with local content philosophy.
Senator Ede Dafinone (Delta Central Senatorial District) the committee vice chairman, assured that the National Assembly would collaborate with the NCDMB to enthrone a resilient and Nigerian-driven oil and gas industry.
They have shared with us areas where the Senate can help expand and strengthen their programmes. We are ready to engage further and support the Board in building a more robust and Nigerianised oil and gas industry, said the senator.
Other members of the Senate Committee on the oversight visit were Osita Izunaso, Ipalibo Gogo Banigo, Ireti Heebah Kingibe, Aniekan Bassey, Eze Kenneth Emeka, Ezra Okechukwu, Isa Shu’aibu Lau, Tony Nwoye, John Williams Eno, Amos Yohana, and Ezra Okehukwu.
