The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) reported that Nigeria had recorded a 54 percent Nigerian content level this year as it continued to champion the implementation of the 10-Year Nigerian Content Strategic Roadmap for enhanced indigenous participation and utilization of local assets in the nation’s oil and gas industry.
The Executive Secretary of the board, Engr Simbi Wabote, made this disclosure during his presentation of the a status report on the road map implementation at the 11th Practical Nigerian Content Workshop organised by the Board and DMG Nigeria Events at Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
Wabote explained that on the average, the Nigerian Content performance in the last five years stood at 44 percent, which represented the period the 10-year Nigerian Content Strategic Roadmap has been implemented so far.
According to him, the 2022 performance 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 per cent.
The Executive Secretary, who confirmed that the tracking of the performance was based on the Board’s monitoring and evaluation of industry activities, reported that the technical capability development pillar of the road map represented a major highlight of the scorecard as fabrication and construction, which hitherto were being handled by foreign firms, had reached 99 percent local content during the period under review.
Wabote also disclosed that 77 out of 96 initiatives under the short- and medium-term categories of the road map had been completed in November 2022 while manpower ratio in the industry had reached 81 percent Nigerian content as of November and project management as of that month stood at 80 per cent.
Reflecting on the year 2022 performance, the Executive Secretary attributed the impressive performance largely to the contracts awarded under the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Train 7 Project.
However, he listed procurement, engineering and services which recorded 34, 46, and 50 percent respectively as low points of the year in the Nigerian Content road map implementation, promising that the challenges in these areas will be addressed by the board.
In addition, Wabote told the stakeholders that the Board had 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 the Nigerian Oil and Gas Parks at Emeyal 1, Bayelsa State, and Odukpani in Cross River State.
This is even as he assured that construction work was also ongoing at the other NOGAPS parks in Akwa Ibom, Imo, Delta, Ondo and Edo states.
While expressing the Board’s displeasure over the unwholesome activities of some indigenous oil and gas companies to undermine the successful implementation of the roadmap after they had benefitted from strategic interventions in funding and capacity building programmes, the Executive Secretary warned them to eschew such acts of sabotage by ensuring compliance with regulations and stardards or face the consequences.
