The Nigerian Content Development Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has allayed fears that the incoming administration will upturn or stop some of the present policies and project implementation.
Its Executive Secretary, Engr. Simbi Wabote, who was addressing reporters in Abuja on the forthcoming 4th Nigerian Oil and Gas Forum (NOGOF) said it is the same political party that is succeeding itself.
He recalled that the party did not abandon the previous administration’s projects and it will not abandon its own.
He said NCDMB needs to assist other African countries in order to develop their local content capacity in oil and gas industry.
The Executive Secretary was upbeat that Nigerians will provide 70% content participation in the building of another train of the Nigerian Liquidfied Natural Gas (NLNG) project.
He revealed that Nigerians are already providing 50% of the Train 7 project.
He recalled that because the project was still strange to the country, there was almost 0% participation in train one to six.
According to him, the advent of the NOGOF assisted the country to accelerate local content participation in train seven to 50%.
Wabote said, “If you look at the LNG train one to six local content participation, it was near zero because it was alien to us and everything practically was done outside the country till train six.
“But with the advent of NOGOF, today 50% of the NLNG train 7 is being done by Nigerians.
“This is because we provided the prior information which enabled themselves start to participate in that project.
” And I assure you if we want to build another train of an NLNG 70% of it will be done by Nigerians in country.”
The Executive Secretary said NCDMB will be sharing the strategies it used to achieve 54% local content in the oil and gas industry with other countries and international companies at this year,s fair commencing from May 18th and 19th, May 2023 in Yenogoa, Bayelsa State .
The theme is “The Oil and Gas Industry: Catalyst and Fuel for the Industrialization of Nigeria.”
Noting that the board is also optimistic of attaining 70% local content implementation in 2027, he vowed to also share the statistics with the international delegates at the fair.
On production of gas cylinder, he noted that the board was concerned about the continuous importation of gas cylinders.
The Executive Secretary said the NCDMB has started the project of manufacturing about 1.2million has cylinders.
Noting that it is not the core mandate of the board to manufacture cylinders, he said the board is partnering with a firm that is yet to raise its share of the equity for the cylinder manufacturing.
Wabote said “our partner is looking for its debt portion but for us our equity is ready so they are actively working to see get the debt portion to complete the manufacturing.”
The Executive Secretary said the board is also negotiating with NLNG, which supplies almost all the LPG needed in the country to support the cylinder manufacturing project.
On fears about security of opportunities that are coming into the country, he was hopeful that the next adminstration will sustain and improve on the security already recorded in Nigeria.