By Genevieve Aningo
The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, NCDMB, has disclosed that it has developed Nigeria’s local content in the Oil and Gas industry to 54 percent in 2023 and is committed to increasing it to 70 percent by the year 2027.
This was revealed by the Manager Strategy Development and Information, NCDMB, Mr Olubisi Okunola during the capacity building workshop for media stakeholders in Lagos held on 11th December with the theme: “ The Strategic Role of the Media in Sustaining Nigerian Content Legacies”
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Okunola, he said: “NCDMB have been able to make a significant improvement in the Nigerian content level where we were 26 percent as of 2017, and now we are at 54%. We are optimistic that as time goes on we will be able to achieve 70 percent Nigerian content level by 2027. There are really no guarantees, but from what we have in place, the initiatives we have identified, how well we are implementing them, and how they are going so far, we are very optimistic that it is achievable”
He further explained that the Board quarterly measures the Nigerian Content by the number of projects awarded to Nigerian companies as contained in the Reports sent in from oil companies across the country.
“Local content is not really about making sure that it is only Nigerians that do the technical activities, but rather we want those value-adding activities to be domiciled and domesticated in-country. So when we say Nigerian content, we are not saying we are avarice to foreigners or we do not want foreigners, but rather we want the foreigners to come back to Nigeria. We want them to come here and do those value-adding activities here but as they do that, some of us will begin to acquire the skills that they use in doing it so that eventually we will be able to do it on our own. That is the target to domesticate those value-adding activities rather than saying we want to do it alone and we do not want foreigners to do it”
Also, while delivering a presentation titled, “Nigerian 10-year Strategic Roadmap: Successes and the Look Ahead”, he highlighted that NCDMB has been able to achieve 83 percent of its 96 initiatives and rejected 328 expatriate requests from oil and gas firms under its strategic 10- year roadmap spanning from 2017 until 2027.
According to him, “In 2023, 1,484 applications for expatriates were received by the Board, 1,156 requests granted, while 328 applications were rejected. Compare this to 2022 data; there were 1,125 applications, 943 requests granted, while 172 applications were denied”, said Okunola.
On his part, the General Manager of Corporate Communications and Zonal Coordination, NCDMB. Barr. Esueme Dan Kikile also reaffirmed the Board’s commitment to raising the Nigerian content performance to 70 percent by 2027 while calling for more synergy between the media and the Board.
“We have a 10-year strategic roadmap with the target of moving Nigerian content performance to 70% by 2027. That was a mandate that Mr. President gave to the new leadership team and that is where our line of sight is fixed.
“For this workshop, the intention is to meet with the media and X-ray the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board as an agency of government, and to see how we can continue to build a synergy between the media and the Board.
“Secondly, to see how the media, in partnership with the Board, can report and sustain the legacies of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, especially at this time of a change of leadership. We need to see ourselves as collaborators, partners, and people who are working for the common good of our country”, Esueme added.
In attendance were the General Manager of corporate Communications and Zonal Coordination, Mrs. Angela Okoro; Chief Officer of media and Publicity, Obinna Ezeobi; Group Managing Director of Leadership Newspapers, Mr. Azu Ishiekwene; Media Trainer Consultant, Mr. Goddy Ikeh and members of the press from various media outlets.