Senate Committee Confirms Tinubu’s Support for Local Capacity Development

President Bola Tinubu’s pledge to increase local capacity development by expanding job possibilities for the country’s increasing number of graduates and artisans has been confirmed by the Senate Committee on Local Content.

During an oversight visit to the famous Nigerian Content Tower in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, on Thursday, Senator Joel-Onowakpo Thomas, the committee’s chairman, made this clear.
According to Senator Thomas, who represents the Delta South Senatorial District, the committee’s goal is to make sure Nigerians get the most out of the nation’s natural resources, as stated in Order 96 of the Senate Standing Orders (2023, as modified).

He urged all parties involved in the oil and gas sector to back the federal government’s efforts to create jobs through improved local content programs.

He underlined, “It is impossible to overestimate the advantages of local content.” “The Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act, which must be strictly followed, lays out our desired goals, and our cooperation with the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) is essential to reaching them.”

He explained that the purpose of the oversight visit was to confirm that NCDMB was acting in accordance with the true objective of the NOGICD Act of 2010.

The senator asserts that the NCDMB is tasked with enhancing the economic possibilities and standard of living of Nigerians in order to increase their involvement in the oil and gas industry.

He gave the board his word that the committee would keep working to create an atmosphere that would allow local companies to prosper.

The NCDMB’s Executive Secretary, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, welcomed the committee members and conveyed his sincere gratitude to the senators for their oversight visit to the board’s operations headquarters, the Nigerian Content Tower, to evaluate current events.
Engr. Ogbe outlined some of the board’s noteworthy accomplishments, including as the continuing “Back to the Creeks Initiative,” which aims to reach host and rural communities. The initiative allows students who are unable to pay their WAEC fees to participate in their exams by providing financial assistance from the board.

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He reaffirmed the board’s dedication to its mission and voiced hope that the Senate’s visit will enhance its operations and spur increased production in the oil and gas industry.

Alhaji Abdulmalik Halilu, the Director of Monitoring and Evaluation for the NCDMB, also spoke and characterized the board’s work as a “50-50 win situation,” pointing out that the board had made significant investments in the industry.

The Senate Committee members took a tour of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Park Scheme (NOGAPS) at Emeyal 1 in the Ogbia Local Government Area as part of their visit. Project Manager Engr. Kelly Olali gave the team a tour of the facility, answering senators’ questions and outlining several project components.

Senator Ede Dafinone (Vice Chairman), Senator Eze Kenneth Emeka, Senator Ezra Okechukwu, Senator Isa Shu’aibu Lau, Senator Tony Nwoye, Senator Anthony Ani, Senator Ireti Heebah Kingibe, Senator Kelvin Chukwu, Senator Amos Yohanna, Senator John Williams Enoh, Senator Aniekan Bassey, Senator Osita Izunaso, and Senator Ipalibo Gogo Banigo were among the visitors from the Senate Committee on Local Content.