By Shedrack Frank

The Senate Committee on Local Content has commended the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) for its ongoing efforts to deepen local participation in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.

The committee’s Vice Chairman, Sen. Ede Dafinone (APC-Delta Central), made the commendation at the conclusion of a two-day oversight visit to the NCDMB headquarters in Yenagoa, Bayelsa.The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that during the visit, members of the committee undertook a tour of the board’s flagship project, the nearly completed Nigerian Oil and Gas Park Scheme (NOGaPS).

It is located at Emeyal 1 in Ogbia Local Government Area, already being occupied.

Dafinone expressed satisfaction with the board’s progress and said the committee was impressed not only by the physical infrastructure but also by the wide range of capacity-building programmes implemented by it for the benefit of Nigerians.

“This is the first oversight visit of the 10th Senate to the NCDMB. We had time with the Executive Secretary (ES) and his team to understand what they do and the results we’re seeing for Nigerians.

“I have to say we are impressed. The industrial park is nearly finished and already being occupied.

“But beyond the physical structures, the NCDMB’s work extends to training and human capacity development programmes that are crucial to the sector and to our national development.”

He also noted that the board presented a self-assessment report indicating that 56 per cent of the workforce in the oil and gas sector is now made up of Nigerians, a significant milestone in local content development.

In his remarks, the ES of the NCDMB, Felix Omatsola-Ogbe, shared insights into the progress at the NOGaPS project.

He revealed that facility managers were already preparing completed sections of the industrial park for occupancy, with power supply expected to be operational soon, as generators were en route.

“Out of ten applicants so far, six have met the requirements. We are encouraging more credible businesses, especially small and medium enterprises, to apply.

“We are looking to attract factories involved in light manufacturing, such as bolts and nuts, safety wear tailoring, small fabrications, and even chemical blending.

“The park is designed to accommodate such enterprises,” he said.

According to Omatsola-Ogbe, the board is launching a social initiative titled “Back to Creek”, aimed at improving access to education in underserved coastal communities.

“Many children in the creeks are unable to take JAMB because they lack basic tools like laptops,” he noted.

“We are taking it upon ourselves to reach out to schools in these areas and provide them with the facilities they need to give their students equal opportunities in education.”

He said the goal was to support students from primary to university level, bridging the educational gap between rural and urban areas.

The senate committee concluded the visit by reaffirming its support for the NCDMB’s initiatives and its commitment to monitoring and advancing local content in the oil and gas industry. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Kevin Okunzuwa