The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board has commenced the sensitization of the residents in non-oil producing states on the benefits and impacts of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act 2010.
The enlightenment workshop which has been conducted in the various oil producing states since the establishment of the Board a decade ago has now been extended to the other states across the country, beginning with Oyo, Kwara and Osun States.
The Executive Secretary, NCDMB, Engr. Simbi Wabote represented by the General Manager, Corporate Communications and Zonal Coordination, Dr. Ginah O. Ginah stated at the workshop in Ibadan that the Board started to extend the message of the NOGICD Act to other states in the federation in order to improve the productivity of Nigerians and increase the participation of more Nigerians in the oil and gas industry.
Ginah explained that the Nigerian Content Act mandates the Board to organise workshops to enlighten critical stakeholders, integrate indigenes into the oil and gas industry activities and empower youths with skills required in the sector. He clarified that the NOGICD Act was instituted for all Nigerians and was not limited to indigenes or residents of the Niger Deltans alone. In his words: “the Act is Nigerian Content not Niger Delta Content but because we are located in the oil producing region, we needed to start from our base before moving out. We are now going out to the non-Niger Delta areas and this will be a continuous exercise.”
He said that the main objective of the workshop is to enlighten the people on how they can effectively participate in the oil and gas industry.
Fielding questions from participants during the workshop, he reiterated that Nigerian Content is about domiciliation of industry work in-country and development of local capacity with associated benefits.
Ginah charged participants to get familiar with the Board’s NOGICJQS database and upload their bio data onto the portal, so they benefit from the various Human Capacity Development Initiatives of the Board.
