Mkpoikana Udoma
Yenagoa — The Nigeria LNG Limited, NLNG has affirmed its commitment to the sustainable development of host communities, with a focus on local workforce involvement, vendor participation, and skills development in major projects.
Dr. Sophia Horsfall, General Manager of External Relations and Sustainable Development at NLNG, outlined the company’s ongoing efforts to integrate host communities into its operations, while speaking as a panelist at the 13th Practical Nigerian Content Forum organized by the Nigerian Content Development and Management Board, NCDMB in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
Speaking on “Nigerian Content from the Grass Roots: Community Capacity Development” Horsfall highlighted the NLNG’s strategies and the impact they have on local development.
“We engage our host communities from the onset, whether during maintenance, activities along our pipeline right of way, or turnaround maintenance at our plants. Currently, some of our turnaround maintenance is ongoing, and we ensure that local businesses and people are actively involved.
“In terms of capacity development, over 30 to 40% of materials required for our turnaround maintenance come from community vendors. Additionally, between 40 and 50% of staff working during maintenance operations, including at the pipeline, are from the host communities.
“On the Train-7 project, 50% of the workforce is from the local community, and about 20% of the high-level supplies come from community members themselves. We are committed to growing our business while ensuring we carry our communities along sustainably.
“We go to the extent of looking into the CAC documents to confirm that at least a member of the community owns the largest shareholding in the company. It’s not just about claiming to be a community vendor; we verify it thoroughly.”
Horsfall represented by NLNG Manager, Community Relations and Sustainable Development, Charles Epelle, also spoke about the company’s training initiatives.
“We ensure that communities nominate highly qualified individuals for training opportunities, and we thank NCDMB for supporting us in this process. They ensure the process is transparent and give us the assurance that we’re doing the right thing.
“We recently conducted a Community Vendors’ Opportunity Fair to inform local businesses about upcoming opportunities and help them prepare for future projects. We also organized a Technology and Engineering Fair to give them a look into what others are doing and how they can align with industry standards.
“The construction of a road linking Bonny to Port Harcourt, a project led by the federal government in partnership with Nigeria LNG, will create enormous opportunities for local contractors and businesses. This road will open up the corridor for further investment not only by local contractors but by the rest of Nigeria.
“We believe that the future of capacity development for the community will depend on technology and skilled personnel. As we move towards a more technology-driven world, the role of human labor will be minimal, and we need to ensure our communities are ready for this shift.”
