The Executive Secretary, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe has reiterated the board’s determination to deepen engagements with local communities and oil and gas industry players through various schemes newly introduced.
He stated this while expressing profound gratitude to industry stakeholders, top-ranking vendors, and staff of the Board for their contributions to the success of the Practical Nigerian Content (PNC) Forum 2024.
Some of the newly introduced schemes are the Back to the-Creeks Initiative, the Revised Nigerian Content Community Contractors Financing Scheme, the Nigerian Content Academy, and the creation of more conducive and befitting zonal offices to enhance service delivery by the board.
Speaking at the official closing ceremony of the four-day event at the conference centre of the Nigerian Content Tower (NCT), in Yenegoa, Bayelsa State, Ogbe said their active participation enriched discussions as the board charts a pathway to the next frontier for Nigerian content implementation.
According to him, the Back-to-the-Creeks policy is “designed to equip youths in our communities with the skills to meet industry demands” through improvements in basic educational facilities and the motivation of teachers.
Regarding the Contractors Financing Scheme, he explained that the board has increased the single obligor limit from N20 million to N100 million.
“What that does,” he noted, “is that it gives more opportunities for local contractors to access higher figures, enabling them to secure and execute meaningful contracts in the oil and gas industry. ” In this way, the Scheme would serve as a mechanism “to bring the benefits of local content to communities,” he said.
The executive secretary, represented by the General Manager, Corporate Communications and Zonal Coordination, Barr. Esueme Dan Kikile, expressed joy that the board’s partnership with the Bank of Industry (BOI) is performing at an optimal level and that the new funding scheme would be hugely beneficial to local contractors.
On the Nigerian Content Academy, he stated that the NCDMB has the experience, in-house capacity, and “the understanding of what it means to practice Nigerian content,” having done so for 14 years. He also expressed confidence that the industry would take advantage of the training facility’s offerings.
Acknowledging the invaluable input of experts from diverse backgrounds in various panel discussions, Ogbe requested the NCDMB’s partner, dmg Events Limited, “to develop key actionable points” from the PNC Forum “that will guide the industry” as it moves to the next frontier of Nigerian content implementation.
He assured all industry stakeholders that the board would continue to collaborate with them to fulfil its mandate as set out in the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act, 2010.
READ MORE FROM: NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
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