Golf was at its most entertaining on Monday at the Ibom Hotel and Golf Resort as industry captains of Nigeria’s oil and gas sector switched into play mode, hitting pitch shots the way only professionals do. Also there in the prize contest were senior citizens, golfers aged 60 and above, who slugged it out in the scorching sun, exhibiting energy, skills and talents that belied their ages.
It was Day One and the first event of the 11th Edition of the Practical Nigerian Content Forum, organised by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB). The oil and gas chief executives chose physical fitness exercise to begin the annual event at which opportunities for local content development and gaps in capacity development are highlighted and solutions proffered.
With the appropriate accessories and caddies, and shorn of executive paraphernalia and aura, the executives and seniors, numbering 72, stepped out after opening formalities for a contest that would take them through 18 holes. It began at 8:30 a.m. and lasted until about 2 p.m. Not even the intensity of the sun could weaken players.
At the end, results and prizes were announced. Overall winner was Mr. Onofiok Onofiok while Akan Udi won the seniors Men category.
While sharing his thoughts on the tournament, the Executive Secretary, NCDMB, Engr. Simbi Wabote said the game is make participants at the conference happy and encourage fitness.
“Golfers all over the country are here to participate in the first day of the PNC event. This is the second time we are holding it in Uyo; and I guess for the next three days we are going to have the conference proper but the golf tournament is a precursor to the event itself.
Wabote reiterated that the support given by the Board to the game in Nigeria is also part of the local content drive. He noted that over 90% of the golfers at the tournament were Nigerians which will further reinforce that the game can be played locally and internationally.
“As long as I remain the Executive Secretary (NCDMB) we would continue to have golf first day of all the conference we are involved in” Wabote mentioned.
The conference continues on Day Two with an opening keynote address by the Executive Secretary, NCDMB, Engr. Simbi Kesiye Wabote (FNSE, FIPS), and a ministerial address by His Excellency, Hon. Timipre Sylva, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, and Chairman, Governing Board of NCDMB. The Governor of Akwa Ibom State, His Excellency, Udom Gabriel Emmanuel, is also expected to deliver remarks, declaring the conference open.
Nigerian content level hits 54% in 2022, NCDMB charges indigenous companies on compliance
Mid-way into a 10-year Strategic Road Map for enhanced indigenous participation and utilisation of local assets in oil and gas operations, industry regulator Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has recorded a 54 per cent Nigerian content level in 2022
Presenting a status report at the 11th Practical Nigerian Content Workshop organised by the Board and DMG Nigeria Events at Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, the Executive Secretary NCDMB, Engr Simbi Kesiye Wabote explained that the average of Nigerian Content performance in the last five years is 44 percent, which represents the period the 10-year Nigerian Content Strategic Roadmap has been implemented so far.
He indicated that the performance in 2022 above is well above the 42 percentage target set by the Project Management Office (PMO), just like in 2021 when 42 percent was achieved, above the target of 38 percent.
He confirmed that the tracking of the performance is based on the Board’s monitoring and evaluation of Industry activities.
Strikingly, the technical capability development pillar of the Road Map stands out as a major highlight as fabrication and construction, hitherto under near-total dominance by foreign firms, had 99 per cent Nigerian content during the period under review.
He further disclosed that 77 out of 96 initiatives under the short- and medium-term categories of the Road Map had been completed in November 2022.
He stated that manpower in the oil and gas industry had reached 81 per cent Nigerian content as of November, while project management as of that month was 80 per cent.
Zeroing in on year 2022, the Executive Secretary revealed that “performance was largely driven by the contracts awarded under the [Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas] Train 7 Project.” Low points in accomplishment were in procurement, engineering and services, with Nigerian Content as unimpressive as 34, 46, and 50 per cent respectively. These, he assured, would be sufficiently addressed.
Technical data, cited by Engr. Wabote showed the capture of 12 new indigenous operators in the upstream sector of the oil and gas industry, bringing the total to 97. In the service subsector, there were 1,303 new corporate entrants, raising the total to 9,532, while 22,512 individual registrations were recorded, bringing the total to more than 271,000.
The Executive Secretary informed stakeholders that the Board has commenced the process of “allocation of serviced plots to manufacturers [of equipment components, spares, and tools required in petroleum industry operations] to kick start operations within our NOGAPS [Nigerian Oil and Gas Parks] industrial parks at Emeyal 1, Bayelsa State, and Odukpani in Cross River State,” assuring that “Construction work is also ongoing at the other NOGAPS parks in Akwa Ibom, Imo, Delta and Ondo States with Edo as the newest addition to the list.”
Engr. Wabote expressed the Board’s displeasure at the activities of indigenous oil and gas companies, which seek to undermine its effectiveness after they had benefitted from strategic interventions in funding and capacity building programmes of the organisation. He advised them to turn a new leaf and ensure compliance with regulations or face the consequences.
He commended the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, Malam Mele Kyari, who had to fly in from Rabat straight to the Conference in Uyo, for his commitment to NCDMB’s local content drive.
In his own remarks the NNPC boss assured the nation that the effort to deepen the utilisation of gas to drive industrialisation and economic development was very much on course. While emphasising Nigeria’s interest in gas as energy transition fuel, he stated that “Gas provides the opportunity to power the global economy.”
Among several projects embarked upon by Government, he cited the multibillion dollar Nigeria-Morocco Trans Saharan Gas Pipeline, which had taken him to Morocco recently. Feedstock for the pipeline, he explained, would be from faraway Brass in Bayelsa State. He
further assured, “We will complete the OB-3 [East-West pipeline, with a projected capacity of two billion standard cubic feet] pipeline.”
In a welcome address, the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, expressed the joy of the people of the State for the opportunity to host the PNC for a second time. Represented by the Deputy Governor, Mr. Moses Ekpo, he stated the desire of the State to be considered in plans for oil and gas producing states.
The PNC Conference continues on Wednesday, with paper presentations and panel discussions on the general theme of deepening Nigerian content.
