Oritsegbubemi Omatseyin
Lagos — The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, has reiterated the vision of the Board as a catalyst for the industrialization of Nigeria’s oil and gas industry and related sectors, noting that its role in that regard is regulatory, developmental and promotional.
Speaking in Lagos at the 15th Anniversary Awareness Workshop on the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development, NOGICD Act, 2010, hosted by AMNI International, the Executive Secretary who was represented by Mr. Olabisi Okunala, Manager of the Monitoring and Evaluation Directorate of the NCDMB, said the mandate of the NCDMB is to develop local capacities and capabilities across the oil and gas value chain, and to enforce and promote the implementation of the Act.
According to Ogbe, you don’t just develop capacity and capabilities without utilizing them and it is through deployment in value addition in the country that the economic benefits are realised.
While assuring indigenous companies that the NCDMB is ready to partner with them in ventures in the sector, he said: “What the Board counts as success is when we see independents like AMNI and other related bodies playing major roles in the oil and gas industry.”
Engr. Ogbe stressed that goods and services available within the country have to be given priority and that Nigerians with requisite skills must enjoy first consideration for training and work programmes covered by any Nigerian Content Plan, NCP, submitted by any company in the oil and gas industry. Monitoring of performance, he emphasised, is of critical importance.
In substantiating the roles of the NCDMB, he said: “As a regulatory body, it formulates and implements policies while monitoring and evaluating their socioeconomic impact. On the developmental front, the Board provides the necessary infrastructure and capital both economic and social to support Nigerian Content development.”
Explaining further, he added: “In its promotional role, the NCDMB fosters a conducive business environment to facilitate the promotion of goods and improve market access.”
Also speaking at the event, the Chairman/Chief Executive Office of AMNI International, Mr. Olajide Farinre Alfred, said it has always been a pleasure for oil and gas industry players to come together and celebrate the journey and progress made under the NOGICD Act.
According to Alfred, the Act has not only established the NCDMB, but it has also been a fundamental game changer in building local capacity and promoting the ‘Made-in-Nigeria’ vision.
He expressed his gratitude to the NCDMB and the Executive Secretary for their continued support.
At the event, which was dedicated to honouring the authenticity of Nigerian-made products in line with the core objective of promoting local content, there was a vibrant display of various cultural attires worn by attendees showcasing the rich cultural heritage of Nigeria’s diverse ethnic groups.
