The Nigeria Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) said on Tuesday it was working hard to increase indigenous participation in oil and gas sector to 30 per cent by 2020.
The Executive Secretary, NCDMB, Mr Denzil Kentebe, said this at the 5th Practical Nigeria Content Conference in Yenagoa.
He said that before the Nigeria Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act, 2010, which set up the board, local human resources were not well utilised in the oil and gas industry.
“It is gratifying to see that five years into the life of the NOGICD act, Nigerian jobs and money are no longer being exported because some capacities have been built over the period.
“Even Nigerian indigenous producers who were doing three per cent of Nigeria’s total output of oil and gas production are now producing close to 10 per cent.
“It is our desire to grow indigenous participation in the production output by 2020, to 30 per cent,” he said.
Kentebe said that the NCDMB also aimed to build a Nigeria Oil and Gas Park , expected to produce 10,000 jobs in three years and reduce importation of goods such as pumps, fittings, valves, subsea production subsystems.
“ Also, training centres of excellence across Nigeria will be established,“ he said.
He said the centres would help to bridge the identified gaps in relevant sub-sections of the oil and gas sector.
He said that based on the success of the local content act in the oil and gas sector, the Federal Government should expand the initiative to other sectors of the economy.
Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa urged stakeholders in the oil and gas sector to continue to harness the abundant manpower and skills of Nigerians, especially in the Niger Delta region.
“I hope that at the end of this forum, participants will get a better view of the current parameter used to measure Nigeria’s content compliance.
“You must understand the procedure used to enforce the utilisation of local goods, services and assets.
“It is my fervent hope that plunging oil prices will not be an excuse for the ditching of commitments made to the people by the operators in the oil and gas sector, “ he said.
Dickson urged the participants to deliberate on ways to improve the revenue generation of the country.
The Chairman, Petroleum Contractors Trade Section, Mr Clay Neff, said lack of security, infrastructure, relationship with communities and industry stakeholders were the major challenges in the sector.
He urged stakeholders to unite and save their investments for the growth of the Nigerian economy.