Governing Council and top Management of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa-Ibom State held a two-day retreat to deepen understanding of statutory responsibilities, corporate governance principles and strategies for enhanced performance, among others.

The event, held recently, and attended by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil) and Chairman of the Governing Council of the Board, Heineken Lokpobiri, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas) and Co-Chairman of the Council, Ekperikpe Ekpo, and other members of the Governing Council, was in pursuant of the Board’s shared purpose to sustain momentum and achieve key milestones in local content development in the oil and gas industry,

Represented by the Board’s Director of Capacity Building, Engr. Abayomi Bamidele and a host of other Directors, the Executive Secretary of the Board, Engr. Felix Omatsola-Ogbe said the event was the first retreat by the current Council since its inauguration in the first quarter of 2024.

In his opening address, Lokpobiri  thanked Members of the Council and Management for the sense of duty demonstrated in their support and attendance of the Retreat.

He said the event was intended to introduce Members to the workings of the Board as chief implementer of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act, 2010, and their own statutory roles as supervisors of the agency who have to ensure its effectiveness and success in the delivery of its mandate.

Drawing attention to different sections of the enabling law of the Board, the Minister reiterated the need for the Council and Management to act within statutory limits to foster understanding and trust, which he said were required for team spirit.

He said the NCDMB has become a business enabler to the oil and gas industry, creating optimum conditions for indigenous companies to thrive and thus deepen local content as envisioned by the NOGICD Act.

While noting that there was still room for improvement, he charged the Management to be more forthcoming with information on the activities of the Board as well as challenges whenever they arise.

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Lokpobiri, thanked the Governor for the warm reception accorded them and for sustaining the standard of performance and service delivery attained by his predecessors.

Earlier in his welcome address, the Executive Secretary of the Board, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, represented by the Director, Capacity Building, Engr. Bamidele Abayomi, expressed profound appreciation to the Chairman and Co-Chairman of the Governing Council and other participants stating that the event represented a unique opportunity for mutual interaction, strategic bonding, and a deeper understanding of the operations, challenges, and aspirations of the Board.

He said the event was the first retreat for the current Council since its inauguration in the first quarter of 2024, noting that the functions of the Council, which revolve around providing policy direction, approving strategic operational plans, and ensuring effective implementation of the Nigerian Content Policy, are outlined in Section 75 of NOGICD Act, adding 5that the commitment of its members to the vision and mandate of the Board has been instrumental in sustaining momentum and achieving key milestones.

Ogbe noted that the Retreat would bring to light challenges faced by the NCDMB stating that the invaluable guidance of council members on how best to surmount such was required, whether through policy directives, regulatory interventions, or strategic partnership.

He hinted that heads of the Directorates of the Board were available to provide detailed insights into their operations, achievements and constraints, citing the establishment of the Nigerian Content Intervention Fund (NCIF), the successful implementation of the 10-Year Strategic Road Map (2017-2027), and commitment to deepening local content which he said was currently at 56 per cent, up from five per cent in 2010, as contributory factors in its attainment of significant in-country value retention and attraction of investments to the oil and gas industry.

The Tide reports that a major highlight of the Retreat was the paper presentations by renowned experts and thought leaders drawn from different professions.

Highpoints of the event was a courtesy visit by the Governing Council and Management of the Board to the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Pastor Udo Eno, at Government House, Uyo..

By Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa