The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has inaugurated 10 sectorial committees of the Nigerian Content Consultative Forum (NCCF), with a charge to them to generate ideas for the development of Nigerian Content in the oil and gas industry. Set up by Section 57 of the Nigerian Content Act, NCCF sectorial committees include Fabrication; Finance, Insurance and Legal Services; Shipping and Logistics; Education and Training; Petroleum Technology and Multinationals. Other committees include Materials and Manufacturing; Information and Communication Technology; Engineering and Essential Services, which covers Medical Services, Health, Safety & Environment, Catering & Hospitality.
In his speech at the event, the Executive Secretary of the Board, Engr. Ernest Nwapa explained that the objective of constituting the NCCF committees was to provide a platform for information sharing on upcoming projects and local capabilities. He said that the committees will also be expected to articulate and recommend strategies for developing Nigerian Content and charged the members not to use the forum for unhealthy debate.
According to the Executive Secretary, the NCCF would be effective if the groups come up with policies that will benefit the generality of members, adding “this government listens to messages that are intended to benefit the entire group and not one or two persons. You have to help us so that we can get solutions required to move forward.” Recalling the appreciable progress that had been recorded with the implementation of the Nigerian Content Act in the past four years, Nwapa admitted that some challenges had also been noted, hence the need to taps ideas from stakeholders through the NCCF.
He further stated that Nigerian Content had been positioned Nigerian Content to make key inputs into government’s policies and advised stakeholders to harness and utilise the opportunity appropriately. Earlier in his welcome speech, the Director, Planning, Research and Statistics, NCDMB, Mr. Patrick Obah expressed hope that the NCCF would foster institutional collaboration and serve as a spring board to integrating the oil and gas industry with other sectors of the economy.
He commended President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan for signing the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Bill into law and making Nigerian Content a key plank of his economic policies. Obah also attributed the successes recorded by the Board to the unflinching support it receives from the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke and charged the sectorial groups to make the best of the opportunity provided by the NCCF.
