In furtherance of its commitment to the Nigerian Content Policy, the Nigerian Agip Exploration Company (NAE) and the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) collaborated recently to organize a vendor awareness and sensitization programme in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The programme was organized with the key objective of constructively engaging vendors, entrepreneurs, operators and Nigerians as a whole on the fundamentals of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) 2010 Act. The event was also aimed at guiding industry stakeholders on what is required from them to enable them participate competitively in the bidding/tender process.
In his welcome address, the Vice Chairman/ Managing Director of NAE Mr. Massimo Insulla said the programme was organized as part of NAE’s commitment to the success of the Nigerian Content Policy. He also said that the focus of the program was to foster and engender technology and skills transfer from Original Equipment Manufacturers to Nigerian Companies.
In his address, the Executive Secretary, NCDMB, Engr. Ernest Nwapa congratulated NAE for the strides it had taken in developing Nigerian Content in the Oil and Gas Industry.
He described the Nigerian Content Policy as the key thrust of the transformation agenda of Mr. President to drive and achieve the industrialization of the Nigerian economy. He further emphasized that the best way for vendors to maximize the benefits of the Nigerian Content Act was to look at the entire value chain of the Upstream, Midstream and Downstream sectors, identify new opportunities in manufacturing, engineering and ownership of equipments.
Nwapa who was represented by the Manager, Monitoring & Evaluation of the Board, Dr. Johnson Olajuyigbe reminded participants that the Nigerian Content Consultative Forum(NCCF) which is a pivotal organ of the Board’s framework had been set up to recommend future opportunities for the advancement of the Nigerian Content in the Oil and Gas Industry.
He expressed hope that the Nigerian Oil and Gas Park (NOGaPS) scheme will create an enabling environment for the manufacturing of components of oil and gas equipment, help maximize the utilization of Nigerian made goods in the Oil and Gas Industry and integrate communities and entrepreneurs into the Oil and Gas value chain.
Speaking further, Nwapa reiterated that the engagement was organized to assist vendors/contractors to identify gaps that are inherent in well delivery, sub-sea production systems and FPSO related projects and also find possible avenues of bridging identified gaps.
In her speech, the NAE General Manager on Nigerian Content, Mrs. Callista Azogu explained that the program was organized to identify the various services that Nigerian companies have capacity deliver on their own, areas where collaboration with OEMs would be required to foster and encourage technology and skill transfer.
She explained that the NOGICD Act has paved the way for Nigerians to be actively involved in the Oil and Gas sector and as such, it was the responsibility of every participant to get acquainted with the provisions of the Act with the aim of identifying areas where they can leverage on to grow their businesses.
Engineer Emeka Ene, Chairman of Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN) in his speech thanked the NAE group for organizing the program and for being at the forefront of implementing initiatives that would engender the growth of Nigerian Companies. He noted that the collaborative initiative between NAE and PETAN had the potential of creating over 20,000 jobs.
The Chairman, House Committee on Local Content, Honourable Asita Honourable in his goodwill message remarked that the implementation of the Nigerian Content Act has revolutionized the Oil and Gas Industry, noting however, that a lot of grounds still needed to be covered. He urged PETAN and other Indigenous Companies to be committed to Nigerian Content, which would engender growth in their businesses.
The highlight of the program was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between PETAN and NAE to foster collaboration in developing capacity within its operations to boost local content development in the country.
The technical sessions of the event featured presentations from NCDMB and NAE on some of the provisions of the Act and key functions of the Board.
The programme featured a 2-day exhibition aimed at creating an avenue for Indigenous companies to showcase their capacities in their various fields of endeavor in the Oil and Gas industry.
Participants at the end of the event commended NCDMB for the insightful presentations and thanked NAE for creating the opportunity for them to acquire knowledge that will aid them in repositioning their activities to align with the provisions of the Nigerian Content Act and ensure steady and sustainable growth in their businesses.
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