JOE EFFIONG, UYO
The Executive Secretary of Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) Mr Simbi Wabote, has enthused that there has been a lot of progress since launching the 10-year Strategy Roadmap to increase Nigerian content in the oil and gas industry to 70% by 2027.
Delivering a keynote address at the 11th Nigerian Content Forum with the theme: ““Deepening the Nigerian Content Opportunity in the Decade of the Gas” holding in Uyo, Wabote said the 2022 Nigerian Content level in the Nigerian oil and gas industry is 54% based our monitoring and evaluation of industry activities which bring the average in the last five years to 44% Nigerian Content level.
“This performance is well above the minimum target OF 42% NC set for 2022 by the Board’s Project Management Office (PMO) just like we outperformed the 38% NC target set for 2021 by achieving 42% Nigerian Content.
“The Roadmap Checkpoint Review carried out in 2020 had highlighted the need to deliver a minimum of 11% year-on-year growth rate if we are to achieve the 70% NC target by 2027.
“Apart from the Year 2020, we have performed above target with year 2022 performance largely driven by the contracts awarded under the Train-7 project. The top-3 performers of in-country spend in 2022 are Fabrication and Construction at 99% NC, Manpower at 81% NC, and Project Management at 80% NC.
“The bottom-3 performers are Procurement at 34% NC, Engineering at 46% NC, and Services at 50% NC,” He said.
Delivering a goodwill message on the event, the Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC), Mr Mala Kyari, said NNPC has concluded plans to fix the Trans-Morocco Pipelines from Nigeria across 11 countries to for onward transmission to the rest of the world.
While expressing the hope that the investment when completed would engender prosperity in Nigeria and other partner countries, Hyari explained that that the importance of gas as a major driver of world energy needs could not be overemphasized since the importance of energy transition is hinged on effective and seamless transformation for efficient utilisation.
“Gas resources provide the opportunity to power the global economy in a sustainable manner because gas is the enabler of energy transition. That is why we are focusing with our partners to make sure we create the necessary infrastructure to bring gas to the surface, process it and convert to the value it can give.
“Therefore, in deepening gas utilisation, we decided to focus on in-country utilisation, and that’s critical to us,” Kyari said
In his address while declaring the event open, Gov. Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom said the theme of the conference was apt because it draws attention to gas utilisation, while fostering the growth of Nigerian Content Implementation within the energy industry.
Emmanuel, who was represented by the Deputy Governor, Mr Moses Ekpo, said since there had been a global shift from fossil fuel to renewable energies, industry players in the country had to continually engage in discussions to ensure that the country is ready for this transition.
“The theme of this year’s meeting: “Deepening the Nigerian Content Opportunity in the Decade of the Gas”, is therefore apt because it draws attention to gas utilization, while fostering the growth of Nigerian Content Implementation within the energy industry.
“It will also help in assessing our commitment as a nation to contribute to the development of the petroleum and energy industry,” Emmanuel said.
Emmanuel said that the State Government was making concerted efforts in promoting local content in industrialisation drive which has led to massive training of indigenes outside the country to enable them manage critical operations in Aviation, Health, Manufacturing.