The Nation Newspaper

Tag: NCDMB

  • NCDMB, Waltersmith seal $10m modular refinery deal

    The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has signed a $10 million equity investment agreement with Waltersmith Refining & Petrochemical Company Limited for the construction of a 5,000 barrels daily modular refinery in Ibigwe in Imo State.

    At the signing ceremony held in Lagos, NCDMB Executive Secretary, Simbi Kesiye Wabote, and the Director of Finance and Personnel Management, Mr. Isaac Yalah signed on behalf of the Board while Waltersmith, Chairman Mr. Abdulrasaq Isah and the Executive Vice-Chairman, Mr. Danjuma Sale signed for the company.

    Under the Shareholders Agreement and the Share Subscription Agreement, the Board took 30 per cent equity in the modular refinery.

    Wabote said the investment decision was in line with the Board’s vision ‘to be the catalyst for the industrialisation of the Nigerian oil and gas industry and its linkage sectors.’ The Board was also keen to support the Federal Government’s policy on modular refineries and meet the key objectives of the Petroleum Industry’s Seven Big Wins launched by President Mohammed Buhari and the Economic Recovery and Growth Program (EGRP).

    According to him, “we have our exit strategy in place to ensure that the refinery reverts back as a fully owned, privately run modular refinery as our role is clearly defined as a catalyst.”

    He also commended Waltersmith for developing a bankable proposal, stating: “They sorted out the project feasibility, regulatory approvals, and other pertinent details before reaching out to the Board with the value they are bringing to the table and a clear definition of the support they seek.”

    Wabote confirmed that NCDMB in line with its mandate in the NOGICD Act 2010, and as part of the Nigerian Content 10-year strategic roadmap, would intervene and fund projects and activities directed at increasing Nigerian Content in the Oil & Gas industry especially those that utilise available resources in-country, add value and create jobs locally.

    “Establishment of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) depots, resuscitation of abandoned or establishment of new LPG cylinder manufacturing plants, partnerships on mini-petrochemical plants, and several others fall into the pack of interventions we are willing to look at,” he said.

    He advised project sponsors and promoters of modular refineries seeking the Board’s support to study the checklist of requirements hosted on the Board’s website.

    He restated his belief that at least 10 per cent of Nigeria’s oil production should be refined using modular refineries, assuring that the Board would be willing to consider proposals that meet the guidelines.

    Isah explained that the modular refinery project was originally conceived to mitigate the incessant vandalism of the company’s crude oil pipelines but feasibility studies later indicated that it could be a viable business because of the significant demand for refined petroleum products.

    He disclosed that the refinery would be sited close to the firm’s oil field at Ibigwe, Imo State, and the refined products would be distributed to consumers within 40 kilometre radius of the plant.

    He expressed optimism that the project would support the Federal Government’s plan to substitute imported refined petroleum products and as well as the strategy to use the establishment of modular refineries to address the menace of pipeline vandalism, illegal refining and other social challenges prevalent in the oil producing region.

    He commended the leadership of the NCDMB for supporting the project and assured that the company would do everything within its power to make it a success. “This is landmark in the history of the NCDMB and we pride ourselves as the first beneficiary of this initiative,” he added

  • NCDMB, OPTS seal pact on contracting cycle reduction

    The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and members of the Oil Producers Trade Section (OPTS), the umbrella body of international oil companies (IOCs) and some indigenous operating oil companies have signed a Service Level Agreement (SLA) aimed at shortening the protracted contracting cycle, which unduly delays take-off and completion of projects and leads to increased costs of such projects.

    The SLA, signed in Lagos yesterday, will commit the 28-member OPTS companies to comply with the provisions of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act, which essentially is to submit to the NCDMB documents such as their quarterly job forecasts, Nigerian content plans, bidders lists, Nigerian content evaluation criteria, Nigerian content technical bids, among other relevant information in relation to oil and gas industry contracting and procurement cycles.

    The Board also pledged to respond on specific timelines, noting that if it fails to meet the set deadlines, the companies can proceed with their tendering processes after duly informing the Board.

    NCDMB Executive Secretary, Simbi Wabote signed on behalf of the Board, while ExxonMobil Nigeria Managing Director, Mr. Paul McGrath signed on behalf of the OPTS. Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) Managing Director, Mr. Massimo Insulla; Chevron Managing Director, Mr. Jeff Ewing and Total Exploration and Production Nigeria Managing Director, Mr. Nicolas Terraz witnessed the event.

    Other industry leaders participated in the event as well as the prior meeting to discuss areas of collaboration with operators and the NCDMB on reducing the duration of industry tendering process. They included Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) Commercial Director, Mr. Martin Foley, who represented the company Managing Director and the Group General Manager of the National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS), a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mr. Roland Ewubare.

    The SLA with the OPTS is sequel to the one entered between the Board and the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas Company (NLNG) in May 2017, which was the first between a regulator and another entity in the Nigerian oil and gas industry.

    Wabote explained at the event that the SLA with the OPTS was in furtherance of the Board’s efforts to meet the target set by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu for the industry contracting cycle to be shortened to six months. Through the efforts of the NCDMB, the cycle had been cut significantly to 14 months from 24-36 months.

    He stressed that oil and gas industry operations are time sensitive, adding that a shortened contracting cycle would cut the cost of projects considerably.

    He noted that the SLA signed with the NLNG had improved the turnaround time of approvals between the two establishments, informing that the Board was working to sign a similar agreement with the Indigenous Petroleum Producers Group (IPPG).

    ExxonMobil Managing Director thanked the Executive Secretary for the wonderful initiatives he has introduced since assuming office a year and half ago, noting that OPTS members contributed in the SLA development and they will ensure compliance.

  • NCDMB, OPTS seal pact on contracting cycle reduction

    The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and members of the umbrella body of international oil companies (IOCs) – Oil Producers Trade Section (OPTS) and some indigenous oil firms – have signed a Service Level Agreement (SLA) aimed at shortening  contracting cycle, which delays take-off and completion of projects, leading to increased costs.

    The SLA, which was signed in Lagos, commits the 28-member OPTS companies to comply with the provisions of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act, essentially to submit to the NCDMB documents, like their quarterly job forecasts, Nigerian Content plans, bidders lists, Nigerian Content Evaluation Criteria and Nigerian Content technical bids, among other relevant information in relation to oil and gas industry contracting and procurement cycles.

    The Board also pledged to respond on specific timelines, noting that if it fails to meet the set deadlines, the companies can proceed with their tendering processes after duly informing the Board.

    The Executive Secretary, NCDMB, Simbi Wabote, signed for the Board, while the Managing Director of ExxonMobil Nigeria,  Paul McGrath signed on behalf of the OPTS. The Managing Director of the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC), Massimo Insulla, his Chevron counterpart, Jeff Ewing and that of Total Exploration and Production Nigeria, Nicolas Terraz, witnessed the event.

    Other industry leaders that participated in the event as well as a prior meeting to discuss areas of collaboration with operators and the NCDMB on reducing the duration of industry tendering process included the Commercial Director of Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), Mr. Martin Foley, who represented the Managing Director of the company and the Group General Manager of the National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS), a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mr. Roland Ewubare.

    The SLA with the OPTS is sequel to the one entered between the Board and the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas Company (NLNG) in May 2017, which was the first between a regulator and another entity in the Nigerian oil and gas industry.

    Wabote said the SLA with the OPTS was in furtherance of the Board’s efforts to meet the target set by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, for the industry contracting cycle to be shortened to six months. Through the efforts of the NCDMB, the cycle had been cut significantly to 14 months from 24-36 months.

    He said operations of the oil and gas industry were time sensitive, adding that a shortened contracting cycle would cut the cost of projects.

    He noted that the SLA signed with the NLNG had improved the turnaround time of approvals between the two establishments, informing that the Board was working to sign a similar agreement with the Indigenous Petroleum Producers Group (IPPG).

    ExxonMobil Managing Director thanked the Executive Secretary for the wonderful initiatives he had introduced since assuming office a year and half ago. He stated that the OPTS members contributed in the development of the SLA and they will ensure compliance.

  • Honour for NCDMB chief Wabote

    Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB)  Executive Secretary Simbi Kesiye Wabote has received the maiden edition of Juris Law Award.

    The award honours leaders promoting rule of law and economic growth in Nigeria.

    The award was presented to Wabote by the chairman a former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Alfa Belgore, who chairs the Advisory Board of Juris Law Office.

    Wabote, after receiving the award, pledged his commitment to pursuing the rule of law in the local content of oil and gas industry.

    He said: “NCDMB is changing gear from writing letters of non-compliance on infractions to actual prosecution of offenders who think they can trample on the law of the land on Local Content and get away with it “

    “If we don’t enforce the provisions of the Local Content Law , we will not be able to create employment  opportunities for Nigerians from the activities in the oil and gas industry “The founder of Juris Law Office and President of the International Institute for Petroleum, Energy Law and Policy ( IIPELP), Niyi Ayoola-Daniels, a visiting professor of Energy Law and Policy, applauded the noble efforts and outstanding achievements of Wabote.

  • NCDMB initiative on science subjects among Niger Delta students

    NCDMB initiative on science subjects among Niger Delta students

    The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) on Thursday commenced an initiative to promote the study of science subjects among students of secondary schools in Niger Delta region.

    Idowu Adejumo, Chief Operating Officer, Osk Leverages and Vie Logistique, consultants to NCDMB, told the Newsmen in Yenagoa that the project aimed to produce indigenous leaders in the oil and gas sector.

    Adejumo said that NCDMB planned to fill the skills technical gap in the nation’s oil and gas by sensitising science students to the career prospects in the sector across the nine Niger Delta states.

    According to him, about 500 students in the Senior Secondary School two, drawn from over 200 schools, are participating in the maiden career talks.

    The theme is Bridging the local content gap in Nigeria’s Industrial Sector: Science, Technology and Engineering to the rescue.

    Read Also:  NCDMB trains 500 Niger Delta students on oil, gas

    Adejumo said the facilitator of the career talks, Osk Leverages and Vie Logistique, was working with state ministries of education in Ondo, Edo, Delta, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Abia, Imo, Rivers and Bayelsa.

    According to Adejumo, the talks are anchored by Victor Ekasa, an experienced facilitator, a senior Safety Engineer with over 15 years experience in the oil and gas sector.

    The talks had been held in six states of Ondo, Edo, Delta, Cross River, Abia and Imo.

    He explained that the students were encouraged to consider careers in sciences, engineering, and technology towards building local capacity and reduce the number of expatriates in the country.

    “The current management of the NCDMB, under the Executive Secretary, Engr. Simbi Wabote, is supporting the move to catch the engineers young.

    “Two best participating students in each of the state are to go home with a branded mini laptop as a way to encourage them.

    “The industrial growth of any nation is anchored on science, engineering and technology and all efforts must be put in place to encourage the new generation to take up the challenge for national growth.

    “We need more Nigerian engineers to man the very technical aspects of oil and gas operations. Nigerians have the capacity to compete favourably and this programme will help us build new set of engineers, scientists and technologists.

    “The grand finale of the science career talks, sponsored by NCDMB, will hold in Yenagoa, Bayelsa on Feb. 27 and we expect them to be adequately motivated to choose careers in Engineering Sciences,” Adejumo said.

    NAN

     

  • NCDMB met all 2017 targets, says Wabote

    NCDMB met all 2017 targets, says Wabote

    The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) accomplished all the targets set for 2017, the Executive Secretary, Simbi Wabote, has said.

    He spoke at the 2017 Practical Nigerian Content (PNC) workshop held at Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. He confirmed that both the objectives set by industry stakeholders at 2016 PNC and the ones set internally at the beginning of the year were met. “We have gone through all of them and we ticked the boxes.”

    Wabote who also clocked one year in office, recalled that he promised to drastically cut contract award cycle, with a directive in November 2016 that operating companies can assume they have received approval for any project if they did not get feedback from the Board within 15 working days.

    He asserted that this target was also met. “We have streamlined our internal processes such that NCDMB is now positioned to review contracts within 100 days, provided submitted documents are in line with the NOGICD Act. We have demonstrated this in the last one year as evidenced in the unprecedented completion time of tendering process for the Agip’s Zabazaba project.”

    Further evidence is that the board jointly developed and signed a Service Level Agreement with the NLNG – a first by any government agency. “We have written to the Oil Producers Trade Section (OPTS) to jointly draw up similar agreements to ensure NCDMB’s role in contracting process is clear and transparent in line with the Executive Order on Ease of Doing Business,” he added.

    Wabote said the board had expanded its operations to the midstream and downstream sectors of the oil and gas industry. “We are now part of NLNG business activities. We visited Dangote refineries where we agreed on steps to involve more Nigerian companies with capacities in the development of the project to meet cost and schedule timelines.

    “A compendium of ancillary businesses required to sustain operation of the refinery is under development to support the operational phase of the huge 650,000 barrels per day refinery,” he stated.

    He reiterated that the $200million Nigerian Content Intervention Fund had been launched for oil and gas service providers that are contributors to the Nigerian Content Development Fund. “The intervention fund has all-in single digit interest rate of eight percent for loans extended to Nigerian oil and gas service providers and all-in single digit interest rate of five percent for loans extended to community contractors.

    The NCDMB chief also reported that the Board signed the Research and Development Guidelines with key industry stakeholders earlier in the year. “We also held the highly successful research and development (R&D) Fair and Conference two months ago and we are building on that momentum to set up a R&D Steering Committee to guide our R&D Implementation plan. Other initiatives such as R&D Centres of Excellence, ‘Adopt a Faculty’ Programme, and others are also being progressed.”

    On sectorial linkages, he said the Board is at the forefront of advocacy for the utilization of in-country capacities beyond the oil and gas industry. “We have local capacities in manufacturing of pipelines, cables, paints, among others, that can be utilized in the construction and power sectors of the economy.

    “Our service providers are also being encouraged to venture into the construction sector to utilise their equipment and project delivery expertise.”

    Other achievements according to him include the launch of the upgraded NOGICJQS platform so that transactions such as applications for expatriate quota, Nigerian Content equipment certificates, Marine vessel categorisation and several other requests could be carried out online.

    Giving further details of the Board’s performance in the last one year, Wabote said the Nigerian Oil and Gas Parks Scheme was being progressed in five oil producing states. He stated that “one key progress we have made in the last one year is to put in place a firm arrangement for provision of 24/7 power supply to the industrial parks as they materialise. This is a core enabler for domiciliation of manufacturing in-country.”

  • Reps, NCDMB back Shell’s Global Nigeria Forum

    Reps, NCDMB back Shell’s Global Nigeria Forum

    The House of Representatives Committee on Local Content and the Nigeria Content Develop-ment and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) have  supported the yearly Global Nigeria Forum (GNF), an initiative of Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo), the deepwater arm of Shell companies in Nigeria.

    Leaders of the two organisations with other public and private sector players in the oil and gas industry, spoke at the fourth edition of the forum in Aberdeen, Scotland. The theme of the forum was “Enabling competitive local content through sustainable partnerships.’ They described the annual event as worthy of emulation by the country’s local content regulator.

    The forum, Shell spokesperson Bamidele Odugbesan said, is the brainchild of SNEPCo, which aims to strengthen local content in offshore exploration, by opening the opportunity space to Nigerian professionals in Europe, particularly in the United Kingdom (UK).

    NCDMB Executive Secretary Mr. Simbi Wabote, who delivered the keynote address, described the annual event as a huge success. “I am happy to see growth in a partnership that has continued to build capacity without compromising standards.”

    House Committee Chairman on Local Content, Mr. Emmanuel Ekong, who led some other members of the national assembly to the forum, proposed the takeover of the organisation of the forum by the NCDMB. According to Ekong, saddling the local content agency with the ownership of GNF will ensure ‘inclusion of other international oil companies for greater impact and access support from the Nigerian parliament’.

    Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Exploration Manager,  Mr. Marcel Amu, said: “This forum is unique and germane, particularly at this time of the low oil price regime, and it aligns with the recent NNPC policy to increase participation of the private sector while attracting the right people with the right technology into the Nigerian oil and gas industry.”

    Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) President, Mr. Kashim Ali, pledged his organisation’s continued support to the forum and asked participants to take advantage of COREN’s new accreditation procedure for Nigerian professionals outside the country.

    Reacting to the forum’s endorsement and the successes of the initiative in the last four years, SNEPCo’s Managing Director, Mr. Bayo Ojulari, acknowledged the support of NNPC, NCDMB, National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS), and the co-venture partners – Total, NAE and Esso – in the strides by SNEPCo.  He called for continued support and collaboration to further unleash the country’s huge deepwater potential to build a better Nigeria with stronger economy for now and the future.

    Ojulari, who was represented by SNEPCo’s Acting General Manager, Nigerian Content Development, Mr. Austin Uzoka, said: “Nigeria’s deepwater outlook indicates a high volume of activity in the building of FPSOs and drilling of new high performance wells with cutting edge sixth and seventh generation drilling rigs, delivering unprecedented schedule optimisation. SNEPCo obviously has blazed the trail here and would continue its strive to be the best-in-class deep-water energy company generating top-end employment and boosting local capabilities.

    “As a Nigerian engineer, nothing makes me happier than seeing indigenous vendors and service providers break new grounds and play up to the international stage in engineering and other seemingly complex jobs.”

    At the forum were House Committee Chairman on Finance, Mr. Jones Onyereri; Chairman of Nigerians in Diaspora (NIDOE) North UK, Dr. Paul Eke; General Manager for Contracting and Procurement, Shell Nigeria and Gabon, Mr. Antony Ellis; and his counterpart for the UK, Mr. Anthony Makenna

  • NCDMB creates council for R&D in oil, gas

    NCDMB creates council for R&D in oil, gas

    A Research and Development (R&D) Council will be constituted for the oil and gas industry to integrate research initiatives of stakeholders.

    It will also steer them towards achieving tangible and beneficial outcomes, the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Simbi Wabote, has said.

    He stated this at the just concluded maiden Nigerian Oil and Gas Research and Development Fair and Conference held in Lagos. He said  members of the council will include representatives of operating and service companies, relevant agencies of government, the academia, Nigerian University Commission (NUC) and top research centres in the country.

    According to him, R&D efforts by stakeholders need to offer real value and relevance to the oil and gas industry so that companies would support and fund them. He said the Board would change the framework of executing and funding research in the industry, noting that R&D would henceforth form part of deliverables on projects. “R&D will be treated like capacity building initiatives and we will close gaps. The Board will fund good research projects; companies could also be asked to take up research ideas and fund. We want quick wins and such research must solve problems and get to deployment stage.”

    He assured that oil industry’s research interventions would be very focused and devoid of distractions.

    Wabote said: “We will deal with this the same way the oil and gas industry deals with its business.

    “The Board will establish research clusters covering engineering studies, geological and physical studies, local material substitution and technology adaptation in four universities in Nigeria.

    “We will utilise Fairs like this to identify top-five research presentations for development finance consideration by the operators and other government agencies. Already, we have selected five foremost researchers in the oil and gas sector that shall be awarded a pilot grant of N56 million. This will assist in developing their inventions further to commercially acceptable standard products.”

  • ‘NCDMB hqtrs stays in Yenagoa’

    ‘NCDMB hqtrs stays in Yenagoa’

    The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), yesterday, assured protesting Ijaw youths that it had no plans to relocate its headquarters from Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, to Abuja or Lagos.

    The Executive Secretary of the board, Simbi Wabote, spoke while reacting to a demonstration staged by members of the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC), Central Zone, alleging that the board opened offices in Lagos and Abuja as part of its plans to quit Yenagoa.

    Wabote, who received a delegation of Pereotubo Oweillami-led by the national leadership of the IYC  dismissed the insinuation, describing it as “wild rumours and figments of some persons’ imaginations.”

    He wondered how the board would be planning to relocate its headquarters when its new 17-storey corporate headquarters was nearing completion in Yenagoa.

    “Our 17-storey headquarters building project in Yenagoa, has got to the 12th flour. It might end up being the tallest structure in the whole of the South-South and South-East when completed in 2018. How can we leave such a building and move to Abuja or Lagos? He queried.

    He said the board only established liaison and zonal offices in key cities and oil-producing states for operational efficiency, just like other federal agencies and state governments.

    “NCDMB is a federal institution and has stakeholders across the country and we need those offices to transact business effectively”, he said.

    Responding to the request by Peretubo for training of Ijaw youths and creating employment opportunities, be promised that NCDMB would train youths from Ijaw extraction and other Niger Delta tribes in leadership and specialised skills.

    dustry.

    He also said that 60 per cent  of the board’s training budget was dedicated to providing beneficiaries with specialised skills and international certifications that would guarantee them employment anywhere in the world.

    Wabote said 20 per cent of the budget was designed to enhance the skills of employed personnel while the remaining 20 per cent was earmarked to provide general trainings and soft skills to beneficiaries.

    He further challenged the IYC national leadership to manage their zonal organs and curtail their overbearing tendencies.

    On request by the youth group for the board to convert drivers, security guards and janitorial personnel to permanent staff, Wabote explained that the standard practice was for organisations to source such personnel from manpower providers.

    He insisted that the board was compliant with Federal Government’s policies.

     

  • NCDMB’s operations go electronic from next month

    NCDMB’s operations go electronic from next month

    From September 1, all the activities between the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and its clients – oil and gas operating companies and service companies, among others, will only be conducted electronically, it was learnt.

    The Board’s Director, Planning, Research and Statistics, Mr. Patrick Obah, told The Nation on the sidelines of a workshop the firm organised for oil and gas industry stakeholders in Lagos that from September 1, the Board will cease to conduct businesses through hard copy. This is to align operations of the firm with global industry best practices, increase transparency and also drastically reduce turnaround time of transactions.

    The Board presented its upgraded Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Joint Qualification System (NOGIC JQS) portal, entitled: Optimising the JQS functionalities for ease of doing business with the Board, to industry stakeholders. With the new NOGIC JQS electronic platform built on Oracle Database architecture, activities and operations of the Board with all stakeholders will become paperless.

    Obah said: “From September 1, the Board will be issuing a public notice to effect the cessation of the use of hardcopy for application for the Board’s processes. The Board brought the stakeholders to acquaint them with some of the new processes we are embarking on.

    “Going forward, only companies registered on the JQS would have access to the one-stop-shop services of the Board through their portal accounts. I graciously urge all stakeholders to register on the platform as this is the new normal for the Board.

    “Registration on the portal is free and is open to individuals, service companies, operators, industry players and other stakeholders in the bid to fulfill the mandate of deepening the participation of Nigerians in the Nigerian oil and gas industry.

    “The NOGIC JQS is an electronic platform established by Section 55 & 56 of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act 2010 as an Industry databank of available capacities and capabilities. The JQS as enshrined in the Act is to function as: the sole system for Nigerian Content registration and pre-qualification of contractors in the industry.

    “It is also a verification platform for contractors’ capacities and capabilities, a veritable tool for evaluation of application of Nigerian Content in the operations of oil companies and contractors, a qualifying database for national skills development; and  mechanism for ranking and categorisation of service companies based on capacities and Nigerian Content.”

    Obah said prior to this time, based on the feedbacks and comments from industry players and stakeholders, the Board realised that it did not have a full scale functional system that could deliver on the core functions of the NOGIC-JQS as enunciated above. Much of the complaints bordered on security of information domiciled on the system. Our response was to rebuild the system on a database that is compliant with industry best practice, more functional in terms of compliance with the provisions of the Act, and making the entire platform more user-friendly.

    Currently, the NOGIC-JQS portal hosts 99,920 individuals, 6,826 service companies, and 41 operating companies. Companies that are yet to register are graciously urged to do so, as the Board is set to commence online processing of documents.

    The JQS will ensure reliable registration database, expatriate quota management, tender management, proper monitoring and evaluation of Nigerian Content performance, among others.

    He said there will be special sessions to be conducted by the Board’s super-users and the developers with industry relevant stakeholders such as Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN), Oil Producers Trade Section (OPTS), Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Nigerian Content Consultative Forum (NCCF) and Oil and Gas Trainers Association of Nigeria (OGTAN), among others.