The Nation Newspaper

Tag: support

  • How we support gas production, by Shell

    How we support gas production, by Shell

    Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) Joint Venture is developing various gas projects to support domestic consumption, especially by industrial concerns and power generating firms, it was learnt.

    Shell, in a document obtained by The Nation, noted that several projects are ongoing, which will aid the development of about 2.8 trillion standard cubic feet (scf) of non-associated gas.

    Entitled: Shell’s role in supplying gas to markets, it shows the oil giant’s gas production dropped in 2016 compared to 2015 due to security issues.

    It said: “Shell companies in Nigeria have played a pioneering role in onshore, shallow and deepwater gas exploration and production and its delivery to domestic consumers and later, export markets since the early 1960s. Since 2010, the SPDC JV has also been producing at Gbaran Ubie integrated oil and gas plant in Bayelsa State, which has the capacity to process one billion standard cubic feet of gas per day for the domestic and export markets. Several projects are currently underway at Gbaran Ubie and nearby Kolo Creek and at Soku to develop around 2.8 trillion scf of non-associated gas. Natural gas in a reservoir which contains no crude oil is called non-associated gas.

    “This additional gas infrastructure will be used to sustain gas supply to the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) plant at Bonny and continue to fuel 225megawatts (Mw) capacity power plant built in Gbaran by the Federal Government under the National Integrated Power Project.

    “The SPDC JV also produced more gas in from the Agbada Early Gas Production Facility, which is expected to further boost gas availability on the eastern Niger Delta domestic gas network and enhance power generation by over 150Mw of electricity. In addition, the SPDC JV operated Okoloma gas plant supplies gas to the Afam VI power plant, which alone contributed approximately 12 per cent of Nigeria’s grid-connected electricity in 2016. Afam VI uses combined cycle gas turbine technology that burns 40 per cent less gas than plants using older open cycle technologies. This also contributes significantly to the reduction of greenhouse gas emission.”

    Shell companies in Nigeria, according to the report, remain committed to working with the Federal Government to increase gas supply to domestic market. For example, the Assa North/Ohaji South project in Imo State, which is a joint development involving SPDC, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and Seplat Petroleum Development Company, a leading indigenous producer, has the potential to be one of the largest domestic gas projects in the country, supplying 600 million scf per day. This translates into almost 2,400Mw of potential electricity generation when it comes to fruition.

    Other Shell companies in Nigeria continue to play a crucial role in the national energy gas mix. The Bonga deepwater field operated by Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited (SNEPCo) produces gas that is piped from the Bonga floating production, storage and offloading facility to the NLNG plant on Bonny Island, it added.

    Also Shell Nigeria Gas Limited (SNG) supplies natural gas as fuel for various industrial processes and power generation in Nigeria. In 2016, SNG distributed an average of 33 million standard cubic feet a day (mmscfd) of natural gas against 42mmscfd in 2015 to industries and factories in its areas of operation in Ogun, Abia and Rivers states.

    The lower supply volume in 2016 was due to damage to equipment from attacks on oil and gas facilities in the Niger Delta. SNG also supplies natural gas to private companies that specialise in the delivery of compressed natural gas to industries located far from existing pipelines. SNG carries out its operations with an all-Nigerian staff and engages the services of a range of Nigerian companies as contractors, it said.

     

  • Eko Support Free Zone ready this year, says OGFZA MD

    Eko Support Free Zone ready this year, says OGFZA MD

    The Oil and Gas Free Zones Authority (OGFZA) plans to set up a structure that will help Eko Support Services Limited – an Apapa, Lagos-based oil and gas free zone – to fully function and enjoy the complete benefits of an oil and gas free zone, it was learnt yesterday.

    OGFZAManaging Director Mr. Umana Okon Umana, who unveiled the regulatory plan when he visited Eko Support during the week, said the plan will enable the free zone enjoy the benefits as provided for in the extant regulations of OGFZA and its establishment Act of 1996.

    Umana said OGFZA would help Eko Support to take full advantage of its free zone licence and exercise the full authority of its free zone status by adopting a standard operating procedure that has been fully tested at Onne Free Zone and keyed into the Executive Order of the Federal Government on the Ease of Doing Business.

    “A licence is a piece of paper. What you make of the licence is the issue,” Umana told the management team of Eko Support led by Seni Edu, the general manager of the free zone, who was on hand to receive the visiting team from OGFZA.

    “We have a model in Onne that is working. We would adapt the model and even improve on it by setting up a structure to run the system for the benefits of the operator, clients and government,” he added.

    He said OGFZA would have to interface with government for the free zone operator and investors with regard to taxes, immigration, customs, security and other regulatory issues by setting up a one-stop shop infrastructure to enhance the ease of doing business in the zone.

    In a presentation to the OGFZA team, Edu listed a number of concerns that he wanted OGFZA to look into, including space constraint and policy direction. Addressing the question of space constraint at Eko Support, Umana agreed that the free zone needed more space to optimise its operations and succeed in providing support services to its clients, adding that the space constraint challenge could be overcome by creating a sub-zone for Eko Support.

    Umana also addressed the question of apparent confusion in policy direction, saying whatever challenge there was in that regard would be fully taken care of by the ongoing review at the National Assembly of the laws setting up the regulatory agencies for free zones.

    “We are determined to make sure that our free zones succeed,” Umana assured Edu and the management team of Eko Support.

    “We will set up a committee to work with you and make sure all parties benefit and perform their roles,” he said.

  • Maize, Soy production get support

    As part of efforts to improve the productivity of Maize and Soy farmers in Nigeria, West African Soy Industries Limited (WASIL) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Business Innovation Facility (BIF). WASIL is a member of WACOT/TGI Group.

    While the TGI Group with Rahul Savara as Group Managing Director, is an international investment and holding company with diversified interests and investments in Nigeria, Ghana, Republic of Benin, Morocco, UAE, South Africa and China, among other emerging markets, the Business Innovation Facility (BIF) is a five-year (2014 – 2019) DFID-funded market systems development programme that aims to improve the lives of the poor in three countries: Malawi, Myanmar and Nigeria.

    BIF works to identify and address constraints in selected markets, providing technical assistance (and some grant funding) to businesses and other market players.

    According to the General Manager, Corporate Affairs of TGI Group, Mr. Sadiq Kassim, “WASIL is currently working with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development and the Central Bank of Nigeria under the Food Security Programmeof the Federal Government to improve the productivity of maize and soy farmers in a replicable manner.

  • Support swells for education in Bayelsa

    Stakeholders in Bayelsa State, at the weekend, declared support for a bill in the state’s House of Assembly seeking to make primary and secondary education compulsory in the state.

    The bill came as a reinforcement to the state of emergency in education declared by Governor Seriake Dickson in 2012 when he took his first oath of office.

    The stakeholders spoke at a public hearing organised by the State House of Assembly Committee on Education on the ‘Compulsory Primary and Secondary Education Bill, 2017, sponsored by the leader of the House, Mr. Peter Akpe.

    They advised the government to ensure proper funding of the scheme.

    The Chairman of the Post-Primary School Board, Mr. Dein Benadoumene and Chairperson, State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Mrs. Flora Williams-Ebi, said adequate funding should cover provision of free school bus service to pupils.

    “The government has done it before. Free school bus should be provided to support the free education policy. And all teaching aids be supplied so that the head teachers and principals will not fall into charging any kind of fees,” Benadoumene said.

    Also, the President, All Nigerian Conference of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCPSS), Mr. Abbey Ayebaemi River, said  government must also provide funds for sports and examinations.

  • Communities seek support to conserve Cross River forests

    Communities seek support to conserve Cross River forests

    Forest communities in Cross River State have called on government and international donor agencies to develop their areas and provide alternative sources of sustenance so they can reduce their dependence on the forests.

    They made the plea when the Wise Administration of Terrestrial Environment and Resources (WATER) with support from Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) and Mainyoito Pastoralist Integrated Development Organization (MPIDO) organized one day capacity building workshops on climate change mitigation for each of five forest communities in the state.

    The communities are Etara, Ekuri Eyeyeng, Okokori, Agoi Ekpo and Agoi Ibami.

    The communities complained that despite preserving the forest for years, nothing profitable has come to them as a result of that.

    Village Head of Etara in Etung local government, Ntufam Edwin Ogar, who expressed gratitude for the training, said, “We need the government and foreign agencies to give us assistance.  Our people are ready to conserve the forests, but we need help. We also call on our people not to go into farming again to protect wildlife too that contribute to the sustenance of the forest. If the government and agencies give us support, most of our people would not indulge in these logging and hunting.

    “The message I have for my people is make a way and put what we have learnt into practice and government should also create a way that people would no longer be interested in logging and hunting.

    “If you talk of carbon credit, many of our elders have died keeping this forest. We have been waiting and waiting. Never a time have Etara or any community received anything. In respect of that if they are willing to help us, we need support.”

    Prince Simon Ogar Ifere indigene of Etara said they keep hearing that communities who preserve their forests benefit from carbon credit fund, but for them it has not been the case.

    Ifere, a retired civil servant who has retired to rural life to farm cocoa, said extreme poverty in the area had forced some people to exploit the forests, even to their own disadvantage.

    “I am impressed with the opportunity given to the people by this workshop. Long ago we didn’t know that preserving the forests and the plants in the forests would be of benefit to our lives. It is from these lectures that we have realized that these plants need to be preserved. They help a lot. They check a lot of negative things that would happen to man and I am praying that my people having heard this should abide to the instructions and learning we have gotten into. It is a good thing.”

    Also a retired National Park Service Officer, Mr Hart Urom, “If we can get ourselves engaged in other activities that would reduce pressure on the forest, it would be very good. How can we achieve this? May be the community people can have incentives, something like soft loans or whatever to bring them out from the forest, then there would be a better chance of conserving these remaining forest we have now.”

    Officer on Climate Change for WATER, Agbor Agatha Owor, said the issue of climate change was exacerbating that is why the whole world is trying to see how it can be tackled.

    “We have come here to create an awareness on forest conservation in order to reduce climate change. The participants are indigenous people who still have forests all over the community, so we start from the grassroots to educate them on the causes of climate change, its effects and also how theycan mitigate climate change.

    “In order to mitigate climate change, WATER taught the communities to conserve the forest as well aspractice sustainable agriculture, land use planning and agro-forestry and the beneficiaries are willing to put these into practice and seeks enabling supports to keeptrees standing to absorb carbon, minimize release of carbon and reduce climate change. WATER also taught them sustainable forest management to ensure wise utilization of resources, storage of carbon, reduction of climate change and availability of forest resources for the sustainable development of the present and futuregenerations yet unborn. Gladly, the beneficiary communities have realized that the conservation of the forest is for their own good as well as protection of wildlife that is critical in the dispersal of fruits and regeneration”.

    She said that: “Without biodiversity  and ecosystems, no human being can survive on mother earth. So the communities that WATER have trained are ready to reduce deforestation and ready also to practice reforestation programmes so that we can regenerate the forests and reduce climate change.”

    Programme Coordinator, WATER, Chief Edwin Ogar, said in working with the five communities, the challenges mainly faced are the issues of poor social and economic activities of the communities, which has led to intensified agricultural activities in forested areas.

    “The communities are complaining that they are poor and the only way to survive is to cut down the forest and cultivate food crops for them to survive and sell to earn an income. I appeal that both government and the donors should do something because these communities are within sensitive areas of Cross RiverState. They are situated in the forest belt. They still have the remaining forest in Nigeria”.

    “I appeal that government should do something very positive as well as the donors to intervene in these areas to provide social and economic incentives as to reduce the amount of pressure on the forest for farming and logging. Even though there is a ban on logging, people are still logging all over the whole place, which is another challenge. Another key challenge is that the communities see the government as not living up to expectation because they have not done what they feel the government should do. You go around the community you cannot feel the impact of government and they are complaining bitterly and even saying they would destroy the entire forest if government does not do anything for them. We have educated them that destroying the forest would also help to impoverish them and they seem to understand in that line. But there is need for government, international agencies and NGOs also to come around and support these communities so they can do something else to relieve pressure on the forest ecosystem,” Ogar said.

  • Bayelsa’s 17-storey edifice fuels support for local contractors

    Bayelsa’s 17-storey edifice fuels support for local contractors

    Niger Delta is rising to greatness. An edifice rising in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, symbolises the great future of the region and holds within it the promise of better tomorrow. When completed, the architectural masterpiece, a 17-storey building, will be the permanent headquarters of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB).

    In fact, the House of Representatives’ Committee on Local Content, were amazed to behold the rise of the imposing structure recently. The committee members were in the state for their oversight function on the board.

    At a glance, some of the lawmakers concluded that such superimposing edifice could only be the brainwork of prominent construction companies. When they saw the design and the quality of work so far done at the site, which is located close to Ox-Bow Lake in Yenagoa, some of them even dropped names of foreign firms.

    But the Executive Secretary, NCDMB, Mr. Simbi Wabote, shocked them. Everything about the rising building is local content. It is completely indigenous from the design, drawing, substructure and the developing superstructure. Many foreign firms wanted it but in the spirits of developing the local content, the board awarded it to an indigenous firm.

    Some of the foreign firms, which lost out laughed at the board. They taught it was not possible for an indigenous firm to embark on such project. But the Mega Star Construction proved them wrong. The lawmakers were also surprised at the speed of work on the project, which is fully supervised by employees of the board.

    Mega Star took over the project in May 2015. Already, the company has taken the massive structure to the eighth floor. The building is designed to accommodate over 1000 workers with a conference hall of 1000 sitting capacity. It has a separate building to be used as a multi-level car park, which had already got to an advanced construction stage. The car park is designed to house over 350 cars.

    In fact, the progress of work on the building, described as the first of its kind in any Niger Delta State, thrilled the lawmakers. For the first time in the history of public projects, none had witnessed such rapid progress. The board is hopeful that the building will be handed over to them in December 2018.

    Wabote, who described himself as the chief accounting officer for the project, explained to the lawmakers that the board decided to keep the project in-house to drive down cost.

    The elated Chairman of the House Committee on Local Content, Mr Emmanuel Ekong, poured encomiums on the Federal Government and the board. “In the history of the Nigerian government, this is the first time government has started a project and achieved this progress in a very difficult terrain in less down two years.

    “Some foreign companies struggled to get this project we just inspected. The question  I kept asking myself as I was walking round this project is, ‘how do we diversify the local content into construction so as to project this company’?” He said.

    Pointing at the Chief Executive Director of Mega Star, Ekong said: “This man needs to be shown the whole world. We need to sell him within the Nigerian market and we need to sell him to the whole world. No foreign company should come and tell me that a project like this cannot be constructed by a Nigerian firm.

    “I am not talking because I am a true son of the Niger Delta, I am saying this because I am a patriotic Nigerian. The technology deployed here is amazing. I have seen things that made me so happy because it is happening in Nigeria.”

    Ekong also appreciated Wabote for showing high level of commitment to the project. He said the committee would help the executive secretary realise his dreams of completing the project in record time.

    But he appealed to Bayelsa youths to support the project. He said though local content is a national law, the youths should count themselves lucky for having such gigantic project in their domain out of 36 states.

    Before inspecting the building, Wabote first led the committee members to a site of the proposed Pipe Mill project in Polako, Yenagoa. The lawmakers observed that the board had done a lot of work to prepare the site, which borders River Nun, to create irresistible environment for investors.

    The area had been sand-filled  and an access road cutting off the host community was being created. Wabote explained that the environment for the project was close to the required facilities such as water and a gas gathering plant in Gbarain.

    He clarified that the board was not engaged in partnership with investors but was merely acting as a catalyst to create an enabling environment for investors. He insisted that without preparing the ground for investors, no firm would like to operate in a difficult terrain like Bayelsa and other Niger Delta creeks.

    “This project will create jobs, retain the much-needed foreign exchange. So, any Nigerian partner who wants to partner with the Baird to act as a catalyst for in-country investments, the board is prepared to do so.

    “Any foreign company who wants to invest in the country and wants the board to act as a catalyst for that investment it is within the mandate of the board to support the investment. It is the concept of domiciliation and domestication”, he said.

    The executive secretary stunned the committee with various strategies adopted by the board to develop content in the petroleum sector. Most of the products hitherto imported by multinational oil companies are now manufactured in the country.

    He noted that the board had increased the marine vessel utilisation, which was just about three percent  when he took over  to 36 percent. .

    “There is still room. Although the current downturn has affected us. Prior to 2010, nobody thought fabrication could be done in Nigeria. But today Nigeria has the capacity. We have numerous fabrication yards today.

    He clarified that the focus of NCDMB is not ‘Nigerianisation  or indigenisation’ but the domiciliation of value adding activities in the sector.

    “ It’s more about how to add value in-country. We seek to close supply gap by promoting local production and maximising utilisation”, he said.

    He also told the committee that local content should not be restricted to the oil and gas sector alone. Arguing that employment generation in the petroleum sector was not as much as other sectors, Wabote asked the lawmakers to introduce local content in the construction, information and communication technology, telecommunication and the power sectors.

    “We require the support of the National Assembly to see how we twig the Local Content Act to cover most of these sectors. We don’t want to create many local contents but the law can be twigged to bring these sectors under the local content”, he said.

    Following the success of the local content in the oil gas sector, Ekong informed the executive secretary that the process of diversifying the content act was in progress. he said a bill to expand the Act had already been introduced in the assembly.

    He said henceforth the lawmakers would not take local content infractions by companies lightly to ensure adequate participation of Nigerians in the oil and gas sector.

    He said: “The multinationals must patronise these people, even CBN which is still building its headquarters using foreign companies must patronise these people (construction engineers)

    “We hit multinationals to remit 1% of their funds which is enshrined in the law. Like I said the first reading has been passed. We are waiting to do some legislative fireworks fine-tuning the bill for assent by the president before the end of this year.

    “ The infraction in the oil and gas industry and construction is child’s play compared to what happens in the oil and gas. It is unimaginable. Telecoms, power and ICT, these are major sectors we are looking at.”

    Ekong urged the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) to fully comply with the content Act since charity begins at home.

    “The law is already there. That’s why we are here . The NNPC , NPDC which are Nigerian-owned cannot be above the law. If they have caused infraction in one way or the other, we are looking into it. They can’t be above the law.”

  • BoI to support youths with zero interest loans

    BoI to support youths with zero interest loans

    The Bank of Industry (BoI) has revised its interest rates for corps members under its Graduate Entrepreneurship Fund (GEF) programme, from nine per cent to zero per as part of measures to encourage entrepreneurship and aid business growth.

    Currently on the second edition, the GEF scheme is being implemented by BoI in partnership with the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Directorate. It has recorded over N262.9 million disbursements to 177 successful candidates.

    BoI said it decided to further encourage such young entrepreneurs by administering their loans at zero per cent interest charge effective from May 1, this year.

    Existing GEF loans and those to be disbursed from May will require repayment of only the principal amounts, while the 177 candidates that have been financed under the scheme will pay the loan interest that accrued up to April 30.

    As at March 31, 2017, the bank had approved N583.8 million for disbursements to entrepreneurs under the scheme.

    BoI said it was motivated by the larger part of the 177 candidates who have exhibited strong dedication to their businesses and have demonstrated unusual commitment to repayment of their loans including the nine per cent interest portion.

    With the first disbursements already creating impact in the agriculture value chain and creative industry, the bank added that N46.98 million is expected to be disbursed to the remaining 28 successful candidates who are in various stages of complying with the loan requirements.

    “The Bank of industry is highly delighted in the outcome of its investment in these young Nigerians. The bank firmly believes that entrepreneurship is a critical pathway to resolving the worrisome unemployment problem in the country.

    “Hence, the bank desires to ensure the businesses that have been created through the GEF programme remain sustainable with progressive migration from small businesses to medium and eventually to large enterprises,” a statement by BoI said.

    The statement added that the bank believes that that the gesture will further attract young Nigerians that are undergoing their one-year compulsory national youth service to embrace entrepreneurship by participating in the GEF programme.

    “It is pertinent to reiterate that the zero per cent interest charge on loans apply only to the GEF programme, which is implemented in partnership with NYSC Directorate”, the bank added.

  • First lady seeks support for empowerment programme

    First lady seeks support for empowerment programme

    Wife of the President, Aisha Buhari, has urged lawmakers, politicians and wealthy Nigerians to complement her efforts in empowering the Nigerian woman, through her Future Assured programme, by start-up capitals that can enable them establish and practise their acquired skills.

    The First Lady, who spoke at the Kano State Government House during the graduation ceremony of 2,200 women trained in different skills under the Future Assured programme, witnessed the induction of the second phase of beneficiaries.

    She said: “Let me also call on all privileged, well-meaning individuals in Kano State, to emulate this effort, as the turn-out of this training has revealed the interest of women to get involved in income generating activities. I call on leaders, both political and corporate, to assist these graduating women with startup funds, so they can start work immediately. “These women have already started making money from these skills. They are now empowered to augment the family purse, solve their immediate financial problems, marital and family issues with more confidence.

    “I will not get tired of restating the age old adage that training a woman translates to training the whole community. I believe that these skills you have learnt will be transferred to your children, your sisters, your friends and even your neighbours, either directly or by subsidising your charges to them.

    “I, therefore, congratulate you on this achievement and hope it will translate to a better, more productive and fruitful lives. I hope that in the long run, the economy of Kano State will benefit from these skills.”

  • Suicide: LUTH launches hotlines, support group

    The Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) has initiated two help programmes to contain the rising cases of suicide in the country.

    According to the Chief Medical Director, Prof Chris Bode, suicide is preventable, but there is a lack of prevention strategies in most countries, including Nigeria. Consequently, LUTH has initiated a suicide prevention service called the Suicide Research and Prevention Initiative (SURPIN) and Staff Emotional Care Services (SECS).

    He stated this while unveiling the initiatives in Lagos.

    Bode said the events of the past few days had further underscored the need to commence these services immediately. The numbers to call are: 09080217555, 09034400009, 08111909909 and 07013811143.

    He said people should feel free to walk into any hospital and be seen by psychiatrists; “it is normal and not out of place. They are trained to help people live a normal life. Nobody should be stigmatised fordoing that.”

    He said it was hoped the programmes would help save lives and prevent death by suicide, locally and nationally.

    “We shall be collaborating with all relevant agencies to ensure that the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) goal of reducing suicide by 20 per cent by 2020 is achieved. Suicide cannot be eradicated in the country but it can be prevented with the right strategies put in place.’

    Consultant psychiatrist (Consultation-liaison Psychiatry/Emergency Psychiatry), LUTH and Coordinator, SURPIN/SECS, Dr. Raphael E. Ogbolu, said people give up when they are overwhelmed and cannot see any hope, “but in that moment of desperation and utter hopelessness, what people need is a listening ear and support to help them choose to live on. Many of those who are so saved have come to thank God they did not take their lives. This is why we must keep trying to reach them, especially at that moment by encouraging them to speak up and not feel ashamed. Stop seeing people who sleep all day long as being lazy. That is a phase of depression. Engage them in meaningful discussions and give them hope through word of encouragement,” said Dr Ogbolu.

    Consultant Psychiatrist, LUTH/ Senior Lecturer, College of medicine (CMUL) Prof Yewande Oshodi said religious leaders do play certain roles in the scheme of suicide prevention and there is the need to ensure adequate information, especially of encouragement is given out , “In our clime people find solace, encouragement and hope in religious places. Worshippers with depression who intend to commit suicide can be counseled back to life. That a person attempted a suicide once should not be brushed aside but closely monitored and receive support from experts,” said Oshodi.

  • Reps pledge support to Local Content Board

    Reps pledge support to Local Content Board

    The House of Representatives has said it would do everything possible to support the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) in local content development.

    The Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Federal Capital Territory, Sergius Ose Ogun, who gave this assurance, restated the House’s commitment to making   laws that would boost Nigerian content development, disclosing that the Nigerian Content Act has been amended by the House, and the Senate has given its nod.

    In a telephone interview, Ogun said: “We have amended the Act to make it work for Nigerians. We will do all we can to make sure it works for Nigerians.”

    He urged the Board to work for the interest of all Nigerians, adding that the aims of the Board are to make Nigerians reap the benefits of its resources.

    The lawmaker appealed to indigenous firms to engage the people of the communities where they work, adding it would also help in reducing restiveness in the area. “An average Nigerian worker is a bread winner taking care of many  people; so, when you don’t engage these people, even if they don’t come out to carry placards, they have people that they take care of that can do that damage to you,” he said.

    He said it was not all about law making, adding there are enough laws that would regulate the Act and to make the International Oil Companies (IOCs) be on their feet and to do the needful.

    “The issue is not just about laws because our laws are enough to do anything you want to do but the bottomline is that we just want Nigerians to benefit from this whole thing so that at the end, it will be a win-win situation.

    ‘’It is no rocket science for the IOCs to know that if they train the local people and pay them well, they would have saved a lot of money,’’ he said.

    He said Nigerians should be very passionate local content. According to him, the IOCs were compelled to advertise, which opened the window for indigenous firms to apply.

    ‘’We appreciate what the government has done with the local content, and what the Board is doing. As lawmakers, we will do everything to support the Board.’’

    The Executive Secretary, Nigerian Content Development Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Simbi Wabote, said the Board had put in place adequate strategy to enhance collaboration with the government agencies, including the Immigration, Customs, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR)

    He said the Board recognised every agency and stakeholder in the industry in the development of the local content.

    According to him, the Nigerian    Immigration Service is among the key government agencies that suports Nigerian content, adding the Board would work with its oficials in realising its objective.

    Earlier, a stakeholders’ workshop had been held which, according to him, was anchored by the House of Representatives where everyone discussed the modalities for the implementation of the Act and also  addressed the grey areas and spelt out roles for every agency.

    The Customs, according to him, had rolled out guidelines and policies for the Board on the elimination of substandard parts imports, adding it would be implemented by the Customs

    He said: “We have tremendous capacity in-country for the manufacture of boats, nuts, gaskets and other kinds of fittings. We are working with the Customs to ensure that we pass on our aspiration to them and this is included in their schedule to ensure that the local industries were encouraged.”