As an effective driver of local content and regulator in the oil and gas industry, the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has explained that its mandate is to build local capacity and capabilities that ensure Nigerian oil and gas industry is driven by indigenous expertise, technology and resources.
This explanation was given by the Executive Secretary of the Board, Dr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, during the Board’s stakeholders meeting with the media and youth groups in Port Harcourt.
He said the Board was established to serve national interests and strengthen Nigeria’s position in the global oil and gas industry, adding that its mandate extends far beyond the empowerment of Niger Delta youths.
Represented by the Director, Corporate Services, Dr. Abdulmalik Halilu, he disclosed that the board has since its creation by the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act of 2010, made significant strides in building local capacity and reducing dependence on foreign expertise.
He further informed that more than 15,000 Nigerian youths have been trained in critical areas such as welding, marine operations, and project management design engineering which according to him, have contributed to a total turn around in the oil and gas sector over the last 15 years.
Still speaking on NCDMB’s interventions, the Executive Secretary hinted that over 100 local companies engaged in exploration, production, and construction have recorded remarkable growth as a result of the Board’s support through funding, technical guidance, and regulatory oversight.
He also highlighted the Board’s strategic partnerships with the Oil and Gas Trainers Association of Nigeria (OGTAN) and the Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM), noting that more than $350 million has been disbursed from the Nigerian Content Intervention Fund to indigenous firms to boost their operations and competitiveness.
Dr Ogbe also emphasized that training and empowerment programmes have benefited youths from across Nigeria, equipping them with the skills required to take up roles in the country’s evolving energy industry.
Earlier, the NCDMB’s General Manager, Corporate Communications, Dr. Obinna Ezeobi, called on the media to uphold its gatekeeping and agenda-setting responsibilities through fair, balanced, and professional reportage. He reiterated the Board’s commitment to transparency and collaboration with the media sector and urged the fourth estate of the realm to continue to present issues affecting the NCDMB objectively while assuring the Board’s readiness to coperate with the media as an effective stakeholder.
