During the virtual commission of the 17-storey Nigerian Content Tower and Headquarters of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) in Yenegoa, Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari urged the Board to achieve 70% local content in the country’s oil and gas industry by 2027.
President Buhari, represented by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Mr Timipre Sylva, made this known during the commissioning. As part of the ceremony, the inauguration of the 10MW plant built by Eni and its partners was also done. The plant is to power the commissioned headquarters and other major government and industrial facilities in Bayelsa.
With the local content currently at 40%, the President said the COVID-19 period is the best time to improve local capacity in the industry. The President reiterated his commitment to building more infrastructure across the country and sighted the Nigerian Content Tower as an example of his commitment to attracting investments, create jobs and eradicate poverty.
Excerpts from the Minister’s speech, on behalf of the President:
‘‘With the commissioning of this project, I want to highlight that we have put in place a landmark of reference in the Niger Delta to reflect long lasting legacies that signpost the years of oil and gas exploitation and I assure you that there are more to come.”
‘‘I believe strongly in local production and patronage of our goods and services as one of the surest ways to empower our citizens and give them viable opportunities to excel in their chosen professions and business endeavors.”
‘‘That is why two of the Executive Orders issued under our government are related to enforcing local content in public procurement and contracts to further replicate the successes being realised in the oil and gas industry.”
Also speaking at the commissioning, Engineer Simbi Wabote, the Executive Secretary of NCDMB praised the speedy completion of the project which commenced in the last quarter of 2015. He noted that a Nigerian company, Megastar Nigeria Limited, completed the edifice which according to him, can compete with other world-class buildings of its kind. He also said that over 90% of local personnel delivered on the project.
The President lauded the thousands of direct and indirect jobs that were created during the project and said the government will commit to funding projects that are being developed by local contractors to continue to create job opportunities for Nigerians.
/strong %20in%20Yenegoa,%20Nigeria,%20President%20Muhammadu%20Buhari%20urged%20the%20Board%20to%20achieve%2070%%20local%20content%20in%20the%20country's%20oil%20and%20gas%20industry%20by%202027.President%20Buhari,%20represented%20by%20the%20Minister%20of%20State%20for%20Petroleum%20Resources,%20Mr%20Timipre%20Sylva,%20made%20this%20known%20during%20the%20commissioning.%20As%20part%20of%20the%20ceremony,%20the%20inauguration%20of%20the%2010MW%20plant%20built%20by%20Eni%20and%20its%20partners%20was%20also%20done.%20The%20plant%20is%20to%20power%20the%20commissioned%20headquarters%20and%20other%20major%20government%20and%20industrial%20facilities%20in%20Bayelsa.With%20the%20local%20content%20currently%20at%2040%,%20the%20President%20said%20the%20COVID-19%20period%20is%20the%20best%20time%20to%20improve%20local%20capacity%20in%20the%20industry.%20The%20President%20reiterated%20his%20commitment%20to%20building%20more%20infrastructure%20across%20the%20country%20and%20sighted%20the%20Nigerian%20Content%20Tower%20as%20an%20example%20of%20his%20commitment%20to%20attracting%20investments,%20create%20jobs%20and%20eradicate%20poverty.Excerpts%20from%20the%20Minister's%20speech,%20on%20behalf%20of%20the%20President:em‘‘With%20the%20commissioning%20of%20this%20project,%20I%20want%20to%20highlight%20that%20we%20have%20put%20in%20place%20a%20landmark%20of%20reference%20in%20the%20Niger%20Delta%20to%20reflect%20long%20lasting%20legacies%20that%20signpost%20the%20years%20of%20oil%20and%20gas%20exploitation%20and%20I%20assure%20you%20that%20there%20are%20more%20to%20come.”/emem‘‘I%20believe%20strongly%20in%20local%20production%20and%20patronage%20of%20our%20goods%20and%20services%20as%20one%20of%20the%20surest%20ways%20to%20empower%20our%20citizens%20and%20give%20them%20viable%20opportunities%20to%20excel%20in%20their%20chosen%20professions%20and%20business%20endeavors.”/emem‘‘That%20is%20why%20two%20of%20the%20Executive%20Orders%20issued%20under%20our%20government%20are%20related%20to%20enforcing%20local%20content%20in%20public%20procurement%20and%20contracts%20to%20further%20replicate%20the%20successes%20being%20realised%20in%20the%20oil%20and%20gas%20industry.”/emAlso%20speaking%20at%20the%20commissioning,%20Engineer%20Simbi%20Wabote,%20the%20Executive%20Secretary%20of%20strongNCDMB/strong%20praised%20the%20speedy%20completion%20of%20the%20project%20which%20commenced%20in%20the%20last%20quarter%20of%202015.%20He%20noted%20that%20a%20Nigerian%20company,%20Megastar%20Nigeria%20Limited,%20completed%20the%20edifice%20which%20according%20to%20him,%20can%20compete%20with%20other%20world-class%20buildings%20of%20its%20kind.%20He%20also%20said%20that%20over%2090%%20of%20local%20personnel%20delivered%20on%20the%20project.The%20President%20lauded%20the%20thousands%20of%20direct%20and%20indirect%20jobs%20that%20were%20created%20during%20the%20project%20and%20said%20the%20government%20will%20commit%20to%20funding%20projects%20that%20are%20being%20developed%20by%20local%20contractors%20to%20continue%20to%20create%20job%20opportunities%20for%20Nigerians.){kind=link}