NCDMB recommits to achieving 70% Local content Oil, Gas implementation

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has reiterated its commitment  to achieving its target of 70 per cent.

This is as the board vows to ensure full implementation of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act 2010.

The executive secretary of the Board, Mr Simbi Wabote, said this at the 2023 Nigeria Oil and Gas (NOG) Energy Week yesterday in Abuja.

The NCDMB has already successfully grown local content implementation in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector from 26 per cent in 2017 to an impressive 54 per cent in 2002.

Speaking at the NOG Energy Week, which started yesterday with the theme: “Nigerian Content Role in Achieving Energy Security,” Wabote said the implementation of the Act would help to drive development and utilisation of in-country capacities.

Wabote said that in the last five years when NCDMB started implementing the Strategic Roadmap, and promised to deliver on his mandate in reaching the target of developing the capacity of the local supply chain for effective and efficient service delivery to the oil and gas industry without compromising standards.

He also encouraged oil and gas industry players to familiarise themselves with the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act (NOGIC Act) as well as the Nigerian Content Regulations.

He said the NOG conference would continue to serve as an excellent platform to provide clarity, expositions, tips, and guidance to industry practitioners on the provisions of the NOGICD Act (2010).

He said it aimed to provide ministerial regulations, guidelines, tools and initiatives such as the Nigerian Content Equipment Certificate (NCEC), the Nigerian Content Intervention Funds (NCIFund) and Expatriate Quota, among others.

”We believe this will provide a good basis to facilitate the understanding of one of the key enactments guiding the oil and gas industry in Nigeria.

”We have selected three processes and initiatives for a deep dive during the panel sessions which are the NCEC, the NCIFund, and the HCD Guidelines.

”We aim to provide you with the information needed on these selected topics, get feedback on faced challenges, and provide guidance on steps to resolve the challenges free of charge,” he said.

The executive secretary also dwelt on the functions of the Board as stipulated in Section 70 of the NOGICD Act.

This, he said, would serve as a refresher for some of the participants while also providing clarity on misconceptions about some of the board’s interventions.

Wabote said the board had embarked on several initiatives to assist local contractors and Nigeria companies to develop their capabilities and capacity.

”This will ensure further attainment of the goal of developing Nigerian content in the oil and gas industry.

”The board have been able to implement all these projects because of prudent management,” he said

Giving a background of the, NOG Energy Week, executive vice president, Upstream, NNPCL, Adokiye Tombomieye, said the conference is a gathering of Nigeria’s foremost international energy stakeholders.

He said the gathering draws together policymakers, regulators, and leaders from the private sector to discuss Nigeria’s vital energy agenda.

According to him, the NOG Energy Week has attracted over 100,000 attendees from over 75 countries and over 50 national and international oil companies, in addition to hosting a world-class conference with over 1000 speakers, over 23,000 delegates, and 345 sessions, since inception in 2000.