By John Ikani
Exactly six years ago, Engr. Simbi Kesiye Wabote was appointed as the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) by President Muhammadu Buhari (GCFR).
One of Engr. Wabote’s first and most strategic action was the development of the Nigerian Content 10-year Strategic Roadmap to provide a pathway for growing Nigerian Content to 70% by 2027.
As the ES would always recall: “Taking over as the executive secretary of NCDMB, I needed to know where the organisation was. I needed to ask myself, where do I want to take the organisation in the next 10 years? So, we then had to sit down, got a couple of consultants, and evaluated the current state of the organisation since it was established in 2010, up until 2016.
“What has it achieved? Has it achieved its objectives? Thereafter, we had to say, where do we want to be in the next 10 years, which now gave us a clear roadmap on what we needed to do. So, for me, knowing where we are with a clear understanding of where we want to be, has been key to our incredible achievements so far.”
One of the remarkable achievements was the completion of the 17-storey Nigerian Content Tower within four years using a local vendor and local vendor.
According to the NCDMB Boss: “We were able to complete our head office building which is a 17-storey floor building on record time despite the COVID challenge, among other encumbrances. It was up and ready in the shortest possible time. We moved into the building, and are currently using it.”
Did you know that the NCDMB has also grown Nigerian Content from 26% in 2016 to 47% today? Within this period the NCDMB grew the Nigerian Content Intervention Fund (NCIF) to $500 million!
In the ES words: “The Nigerian Content Intervention Fund which is being managed by the Bank of Industry (BOI) is one of the most successful loan schemes in this country.
“This has also helped to a large extent, in cushioning the effect in terms of doing business in the country, because today, the interest rate on the back of that fund is just six per cent, whether you borrow in naira or in the dollar.
“It has been hugely successful. And we are doing the same thing with NEXIMBANK that we gave $50 million, with them bringing in their counterpart funding of $50 million, to support working capital as well as women in oil and gas. So, those have been very successful and the testimonies are there to show.”
Also on the long list of remarkable achievements was the speedy development of two Nigerian Oil and Gas Parks which would create about 2000 jobs each. The NCDMB has also catalysed modular refineries, gas projects and other investments.
Below is Heritage Times (HT) compilation of NCDMB’s achievements under the transformational leadership of Engr. Simbi Wabote in the last 6 years.
1. Conceptualising and Implementing Nigerian Content 10-Year Strategic Roadmap
One of Engr. Wabote’s first and most strategic action is the development of the Nigerian Content 10-Year Strategic Road Map, to provide the pathway for growing Nigerian Content to 70 per cent by 2027.
After four years of implementing the roadmap, in-country value retention has increased remarkably from 26% to 42%.
2. Construction and commissioning of NCDMB 17-Storey Headquarters
The most visible accomplishment of Engr Wabote is the completion of the Nigerian Content Tower 17-storey headquarters building within five years, using an indigenous contractor.
3. Promotion of African Local Content
The NCDMB under Engr. Simbi Kesiye Wabote has championed the development of Local Content across the continent and provided guidance to several African countries on the implementation of Local Content policies in their jurisdictions.
4. Enabling 50% Domiciliation of $5bn NLNG Train 7 Project
NCDMB enabled the domiciliation of 50% of the $5bn NLNG Train 7 Project. Over half of the project scope is being executed in the country by Nigerian vendors and is expected to create 12,000 jobs directly and engender peace in the Niger Delta region.
5. Introduction of Service Level Agreements (SLAs)
The NCDMB, under Engr. Wabote introduced the Service Level Agreements (SLAs) between the Board and critical oil and gas operating companies and other key industry stakeholders.
This shortened the protracted tendering cycle in the Oil and Gas Industry from 36 months to 9 nine months and enhanced broad compliance with the NOGICD Act.
6. Creation of US$50Om Intervention Fund
The NCDMB created a US$50Om Nigerian Content Intervention Fund managed by the Bank of Industry and NEXIM Bank, to provide affordable credit for Nigerian oil and gas service companies and community contractors, with a single-digit interest rate.
Through this intervention, the Board has effectively addressed the challenge of lack of affordable capital which hampered the growth and development of many indigenous service providers.
7. Introduction of Women in Oil and Gas Fund, Working Capital Fund
The NCDMB in partnership with the Nigerian Export-Import (NEXIM) Bank introduced US$40m Women in Oil and Gas Intervention Fund, which is being managed by NEXIM Bank, to benefit oil and gas firms where women hold majority shares or manage the firms.
The Board also introduced a US$30m Working Capital Fund for oil and gas service companies to support the operations of companies against the adverse effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic, loss of contracts due to low oil prices and ensure the companies retain their personnel in employment.
8. Introduction of US$50m Fund for Oil Industry Manufacturing
The NCDMB secured approval to launch a Us$50 million fund for NOGaPs Manufacturing Product Line. This fund would be dedicated to companies that would operate in the Nigerian Oil and Gas Parks established by the Board and engage in the manufacturing of equipment components used in the oil and gas industry and linkage sectors.
9. Modular Refinery Initiative
The NCDMB catalysed the construction, and completion of Waltermith’s 5000 barrels per day (bpd) modular refinery in Imo State, now in operation.
The NCDMB also invested in Azikel Group12,000 bpd hydro-skimming modular refinery in Polaku, Gbarain Clan, Bayelsa State; Atlantic International Refinery’s 2000 barrels plant in Brass, Bayelsa State and Duport Midstream’s 2,500bpd modular refinery in Edo State.
The investments created over 3000 jobs in the refining value chain and ensured value addition to Nigeria’s crude oil. growth in domestic refining capacity to improve product availability, creation of jobs in-country and curbing of pipeline vandalism.
10. Construction of oil & Gas Parks Scheme
Engr. Simbi spearheaded the rapid development of Oil and Gas Park in Cross River and Bayelsa State, designed to spur the manufacturing of critical oil and gas equipment, tools and spare parts in Nigeria.
The parks are due for completion in Q4 2022 and would create about 2000 jobs each.
11. Introduction of Project 100 Initiative
The NCDMB introduced Project 100 Initiative which identified 100 oil and gas start-ups and deployed special institutional interventions for their incubation, maturation and growth into world-class service companies.
12. Establishment of FPSO Integration Facility
The NCDMB championed the construction and integration of Egina FPS modules (deep offshore drilling and storage ship) for the first time in
Nigeria and the entire Gulf of Guinea. This initiative resulted in the creation of 3000 jobs across five years and the fabrication of 60,000 tonnages of steel.
The project resulted in the establishment of a 500-meter integration quayside in Lagos for future construction, integration and maintenance of FPSOs.
13. Completion of 10MW power plant
Engr. Wabote championed NCDMB’s partnership with Eni Companies in Nigeria to construct a 10MW power plant at Elegbele, Bayelsa State.
The plant supplies electricity to the Nigerian Content Tower, Nigerian Oil and Gas Industrial Park in Emeyal, Bayelsa State and key offices of the Bayelsa State Government.
14. Trained 4000 youths on GSM Technology
The NCDMB has trained about 4,000 youths in Kano, Bauchi, Yobe Kaduna, and Cross River States on CSM phone repairs, hardware, software, and entrepreneurship development.
15. Upgrade of Vocational Colleges, Equipping of ICT Centres
Under Engr. Wabote’s supervision, NCDMB renovated and equipped the Government Technical College Abak, Akwa Ibom, Technical College Amoli, Awgu Local Government Area, Enugu State and University of Ibadan Vocational Centre, as part of strategies to develop critical manpower needed to support various sectors of the economy.
The Board also donated over 35 ICT centres and science laboratories to secondary schools across the country to enhance the quality of Information, Communication Technology (ICT) and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education.
16. Launch of $50 million Nigerian Content Research & Development Fund (NCDF)
The NCDMB endowed a $50 Million Nigerian Content Research and Development Fund to support research findings that have practical utilisation and have the capability of being commercialised and applied to solve teething problems in the economy.
17. Development of Gas based projects
The NCDMB under Engr. Wabote’s leadership championed equity investment in critical gas-based projects in keeping with President Muhammadu Buhari’s declaration of a Decade of Gas.
