Featured, Oil & Gas
…says the bill will repeal and to re-enact the Oil and Gas Industry Content Act.
By Anthony Isibor
THE Chairman, House Committee on Local Content, Boma Goodhead, says that the National Assembly is working on a bill that will increase the ease of doing business in the oil and gas industry by discouraging the activities of middlemen who do not add values to transactions.
This bill also provides for the establishment of one-stop shop for operators, especially for Original Equipment Manufacturers, OEMs, which was not expressly provided for in the current Nigeria Oil and Gas, NOGICD Act.
She said that the bill also incorporated the provisions in the President’s Bill, the provisions in the Presidential Directives, related to ease of doing business in the Nigerian petroleum industry, emphasizing timelines on contract cycles, approvals and deemed approvals.
Goodhead told the Practical Nigerian Content, PNC, forum on Tuesday in Bayelsa that the bill, which is currently pending before the National Assembly, provides the shared vision of the NCDMB.
According to her, the bill, which will be reviewed by the House, is a cornerstone event which has escalated into the transformative legislative initiative on the National Assembly and contains the Assembly’s commitment to advance the Nigerian oil and gas sector content.
Although she acknowledged that technologies and capacities are still growing, and the external opinions are needed to sustain the Nigerian petroleum industry, she, however, noted that the bill discolored the activities of middlemen, who do not add values to transactions in the industry’s existing value chain.
“In part, fronting over this bill is to be criminalized,” she said.
She also revealed that as a new frontier, the bill considers technology, domiciliation and domestication.
“Domiciliation means that technology must be attracted to Nigeria to reside in this country, and domesticated to people, to be part of the country’s knowledge assets available for us to use in the industry, especially by indigenous workforce.
“The non-use of locally sourced raw materials in the manufacturing industry deprives the country of many beneficial opportunities, including employment, research and development, and value retention.
“The bill has made adequate provisions for using local sourced materials, provided that such materials are certified by relevant certifying bodies, as accepted by the industry standards,” she added
The local content committee chair also called on the Nigerian contents to have less tolerance for rebranding, re-leveling and recycled goods.
“Such goods cannot truly be made an attention.
“This is another new frontier that should be critically examined, because some of the drawbacks of developing Nigerian content among indigenous Nigerian businesses in the petroleum industry are equipment financing and acquisition of licenses and consignment, delaying payment for satisfactory computer jobs by Nigerian businesses are also killing the growth of Nigerian content. The bill has, however, addressed these challenges.
“I am indeed limited by time to speak on the new frontier and the provisions of the bill, but it would be needful to state that the board is capable, under its present leadership and management team, of taking Nigerian content in the oil and gas industry to the expected new frontier,” she said.
She also expressed delight that NCDMB’s achievements towards ensuring a continuous and sustained Nigerian local content goals in the oil and gas sector have become a gold standard for other bills brought to the National Assembly.
“Nigerians shall always remain grateful to God for the provision of this board
“Delightfully, the board’s achievements in developing the Nigerian content stand tall and they have become a gold standard. And presently, the bill is before the National Assembly to establish the gaze the board has made other key sectors of the Nigerian economy. Such sectors include agriculture, solid minerals, ICT, health, power, construction, maritime, economy, textiles, and also, this will enable us to know that our local content is indeed in place,” she added.
A.I
Dec. 4, 2024
Tags: Boma Goodhead House Committee on Local Content PNC Practical Nigerian Content
