In accordance to the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, African nations are researching its local content model in order to establish their own.
In order to improve Ghana’s comprehension of Nigeria’s local content development framework, the board recently made this statement while hosting a group from the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation on a benchmarking and knowledge-sharing tour.
The delegation was welcomed at the NCDMB offices in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, under the leadership of Mr. Eric Pwadura, Director of Corporate Affairs at GNPC.
Nigeria and Ghana have long cooperated in the energy industry, according to a statement from Dr. Obinna Ezeobi, General Manager of NCDMB’s Corporate Communications Division, and the board has continued to foster peer learning throughout Africa.
Felix Ogbe, the Executive Secretary of NCDMB, welcomed the team and stated that producing nations had an obligation to prioritize local content creation and lessen reliance on foreign technology due to Africa’s hydrocarbon endowment.
“Over the last three to four decades, Africa has evolved, growing its hydrocarbon resources to over 120 billion barrels of crude oil reserves and 800 trillion standard cubic feet of gas, which constitute over 10% of hydrocarbon resources globally,” he stated.
Ogbe emphasized the need to move away from an excessive dependence on outside expertise, adding that it was in the national interest of producing nations to develop internal capacity for exploration and production.
According to Ogbe, who was represented by Dr. Abdulmalik Halilu, Director of Corporate Services at NCDMB, Africa’s youth population continues to be a significant benefit for industrial development if they are adequately prepared with the necessary skills.
He insisted that the board had developed into a fully functional organization from policy directions under the now-defunct Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Local Content Division.
He exclaimed, “We have evolved from a policy to an institution,” and added, “NCDMB is the sole agency responsible for local content” in Nigeria.
He revealed that, in addition to important facilitators like funding and regulatory support, the board’s Nigerian Content 10-Year Strategic Roadmap was organized around five strategic pillars: technical capability development, compliance and enforcement, an enabling business environment, organizational capability, and sectoral and regional markets.
Regarding capacity building, Ogbe emphasized the Nigerian Content Intervention Fund, which is run by the Nigerian Export-Import Bank and the Bank of Industry and offers single-digit loans to local service businesses.
“What we have done is to create that access to make the local service companies competitive,” he said, pointing out that the program has made it possible for local businesses to purchase vital assets like marine vessels.
He added that the board encourages Nigerian businesses with demonstrated potential to use developed capacity through a First Consideration policy.
“Local content does not compromise standards…it does not mean you have African spec or European spec,” he continued. “It’s one global spec.”
In his remarks, Pwadura of Ghana noted that Ghana’s existing structure is still underdeveloped and expressed gratitude for the chance to learn from Nigeria’s experience.
“We don’t have the advantage of having a strong local content environment like you do, even though we have laws governing local content. For instance, Ghana National Petroleum Corporation has a local content unit. We now have a structure like that. “We would like to learn more about your local content development program,” he stated.
Earlier in his introductory remarks, Ezeobi stated that NCDMB had maintained solid relationships with a number of African organizations, including memoranda of understanding with the Petroleum Commission of Ghana and the ST-CNSCL of Senegal, as well as organizations in Mozambique, Angola, and Namibia.
