Oil & Gas
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Diezani Alison-Madueke, minister of petroleum resources, says the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board is a major contributor to the success of President Goodluck Jonathan’s transformation agenda
| By Anayo Ezugwu | Aug. 11, 2014 @ 01:00 GMT
DIEZANI Alison-Madueke, minister of petroleum resources, has commended the achievements of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, NCDMB, in the last four years. The minister described the agency as a major contributor to the transformation agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan. Alison-Madueke made the commendation recently after visiting the headquarters of the Board in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
“We are all extremely pleased at the federal level with the various achievements this Board has recorded within this period of time. It is quite clear from our various movements particularly when we go to international fora and see the numbers of Nigerians that are now exhibiting the services they deliver to the industry. It is progressing robustly every year and growing from strength to strength. Within Nigeria, the success of Nigerian Content is incredible,” she said.
The minister also underscored the adoption of the Nigerian Content philosophy by other sectors of the economy like the ministry of communications technology and ministry of power as further proof that the implementation of the Act has been effective.
“The fact that Nigerian Content policies are about to be deployed in various parts of the economy and ministries as well want to copy and learn from the Ministry of Petroleum is one of the things we can be actually proud of. It is one of the strengths of the oil and gas sector in President Jonathan’s administration and we are very pleased with it.”
On her future expectation, Alison-Madueke expressed confidence that the Nigerian Content implementation would lend itself in a critical way to the growth of the nation’s economy and development of the citizenry in terms of knowledge, capacity building and employment generation.
Speaking earlier at the Bayelsa State Investment and Economic Forum, BSIEF, the minister charged Nigerians, particularly indigenes of the state to take advantage of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act and the fact that NCDMB is located in Yenagoa to play key roles in the oil and gas industry. She listed key initiatives of the board which would benefit Nigerians and Bayelsa indigenes directly to include the pilot pipe mill being developed at Polaku, Bayelsa State, the NCDMB headquarters building project in Yenagoa, the Oil and Gas Industrial Park development in Utuoke, Bayelsa State, artisanal training programme being organised by the board in conjunction with the Federal University, Utuoke, and a host of other activities.
The minister further explained that over $200 million would be invested in the pilot pipe mill project, expected to be completed before the end of 2015. Noting that civil works and development of jetty have started, she said over 500 direct jobs and 10,000 indirect jobs would be created by the project while some community youths would be trained abroad to work in the plant.
Alison-Madueke also confirmed that the board’s headquarters’ building project, planned to be completed in 36 months, would cost over $200 million. To ensure adequate participation of young Nigerians in the project, the board, she said, had commenced the training of 100 artisans who would eventually work in the project. Altogether, she said, the project would employ over 1000 workers and create 10,000 indirect jobs in subcontracts and supply opportunities.
According to Alison-Madueke, the Oil and Gas Industrial Park wass another major development which would create opportunities for Nigerians, including Bayelsa indigenes. Giving an update on the project, the minister said about $100 million would be invested in the project and that infrastructure construction would commence later in the year. The facility will provide a platform for the manufacturing of components of the oil and gas industry equipment and create over 50,000 jobs.
The minister said in the spirit of the Nigerian Content Act, Nigerians would be given first consideration in various areas in the oil and gas sector including award of oil blocks, oil field licenses and oil lifting licenses. There would also be exclusive consideration to Nigerian indigenous service companies which demonstrate ownership of equipment, personnel and capacity for jobs in land and swamp operating areas. “There are so many areas within the industry that you can come into. Visit the NCDMB office and get a copy of the Act so as to be informed about the myriad areas of opportunities through the Nigerian Content Act,” she said.
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