Oritsegbubemi Omatseyin
Lagos — Engineers under the aegis of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, NSE, have asked authorities to consider their input while offering jobs in the oil and gas industry under the existing local content legislation.
The President of the NSE, Engr. Margaret Oguntala, voiced out concerns of the Engineers who feel excluded when she called for renewed efforts to strengthen local content policies in the oil and gas industry.
Oguntala, further admonished the government to take steps to secure oil and gas-producing areas in order to combat the activities of vandals and hoodlums disrupting oil exploitation activities.
Speaking at the National Assembly Stakeholders Engagement organised by the National Association of Petroleum Explorationists, NAPE, Oguntala emphasised the need for increased participation of Nigerian engineers, technologists, and contractors in the industry, which would build local capacity, create jobs, stimulate economic growth and reduce the country’s dependency on foreign expertise, thereby retaining more value within the economy.
With the theme, “Deepening Collaborations between the Oil and Gas Industry and the National Assembly,” Oguntala commended NAPE and the National Assembly for their efforts in strengthening local content laws governing the oil and gas industry.
“Promoting local content in the oil and gas industry would bring about robust fiscal policy, increased oil production, reduced petroleum products import, petroleum product exports and shift to gas from oil among others. It is important to note that local content regulations in the oil and gas industry bring about engineering development in Nigeria,” she stated.
