Former Nigerian President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, has been awarded the “Lifetime Achievement Award” of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB).
Jonathan was bestowed the award at the maiden edition of the “Champions of Nigerian Content Awards”,recently, as part of events for the 5th edition of the NCDMB’S Nigerian Oil and Gas Opportunities Fair (NOGOF), which took place at the content tower, headquarters of the Board in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital.
Receiving the award, the ex-President commended the management and staff of the Board for the milestones achieved by the Board in the implementation of the Nigerian Content in the Oil and Gas industry.
He noted that prior to the enactment of the Nigeria Oil and Gas Industry Development Act (NOGIC-D Act), there were no better laws regulating operations in the hydrocarbon industry in the nation, save for a few that post- existed the discovery of oil in commercial quantity in the Niger Delta region.
The ex-Nigerian leader also lauded former Senator Lee Maeba of Rivers State, who he said sponsored the NOGIC-D Act as a private member bill, noting that the Nigerian National Assembly then was made up of people of integrity and honesty.
“Before the NOGIC-D Act was enacted by the Nigerian National Assembly when I was President, there wasn’t any good law guiding the operations in the oil and gas industry in this nation.
“As Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State under the late Chief DSP Alamieyeseigha’s administration, I led a state business delegation to China to understudy certain things in that nation, especially the oil industry.
“So, when we came back, Alamieyeseigha asked me to interface with President Obasanjo, the then President. I met him in the State House and discussed our findings with him, but there wasn’t any enabling law to save the situation.
“As God may have it, in 2010 when I became Acting President, the bill, which established the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, was sponsored as a private member bill by Senator Lee Maeba and upon its passage, I hurriedly, but meticulously assented to it to create the NCDMB.
“I’m happy with the milestone achievements of the NCDMB under various Executive Secretaries. The Board is doing tremendously well. I’m happy to hear that the Board has implemented the Local Content policy to about 56 percent”, he said.
The Tide reports that some firms and other individual stakeholders in the oil and gas industry also received awards in various categories.
They include, Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical Company, which received the award of the “Nigerian Content Downstream Operator of the year”, Dorman Long Engineering Limited, was awarded the “Nigerian Content Indigenous Service Company of the year”, while TechnipFMC clinched the “Nigerian Content International Service Company of the year” award.
Others are: This Day Newspapers, which received the award of the “Nigerian Content Media Organisation of the year”; Bank of Industry (BOI), which got the award of the “Nigerian Content Financial Service Provider of the year”; the Nigerian Liquified Natural Gas (NLNG) took the “Nigerian Content Midstream Operator of the year” award; Aradel Holdings Plc clinched the “Nigerian Content Independent Upstream Operator of the year” award; while Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), now Renaissance Africa Energy Company Ltd., was given the “Nigerian Content International Upstream Operator of the year” award.
In other categories, Mr. Tony Attah of Renaissance Africa Energy Company Ltd, won the “Nigerian Content Icon of the year” award; Professor Emenike of the University of Nigeria (UNN) clinched the “Nigerian Content Innovator of the year” award; while Mrs. Iroghama Ogbeifun of Starzs Gas Ltd. won the “Nigerian Content Women in Leadership” award for promoting Women Empowerment in the oil and gas industry.
Earlier in their separate remarks, the duo of the Executive Secretary, NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatshola-Ogbe, and the Chairman of the NCDMB award advisory committee, one time Executive Secretary of the Board, Engr. Ernest Nwapa, underscored the need for the award.
The NCDMB’S Scribe, Ogbe, who reiterated his desire to improve on the gains of the Board, promised a continued implementation of the NOGIC-D Act within its guidelines, saying the new Presidential executive orders has also strengthened the Board under his stewardship.

By: Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa