By John Ikani
Youths in Rivers State were recently hosted by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, (NCDMB) to a Sensitization/Enlightenment Workshop on Community Content Guideline, (CCG).
Speaking at the forum, the General Manager, Corporate Communication and Zonal Coordination of the Board, Dr. Ginah O. Ginah described the Community Content Guidelines (CCG) as a policy thrust designed by the Board to bring critical infrastructure to host communities and usher development, empowerment and generate employment.
Dr. Ginah indicated that the objective of the workshop was to enlighten young Nigerians on how to actively get involved in the oil and gas industry through human capacity development as provided in the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development, (NOGICD) (2010) Act.
According to him, the CCG gives community contractors the leverage to partake in projects, partnerships and initiatives of the Board in the Niger Delta region through direct and indirect access to increase entrepreneurial skills, competencies and capacities in the oil and gas industry and retain in-country spend as part of the strategy to increase Nigerian Content to 70 percent by 2027.
He stated that such opportunities have already generated employment for members of host communities and trained young people in the area to take up vocations as the Board has achieved a lot in the area of Human Capacity Development.
Fielding questions from participants during the workshop, the General Manager, gave insight into the Nigerian Content policy which is about domiciliation of work and development of local capacity with associated benefits.
Speaking further, he charged participants to avail themselves of the Board’s NOGICJQS database and upload their bio data onto the portal in line with the Human Capacity Development Initiative.
In a presentation, a Manager in the Capacity Building Division of the Board, Mrs. Angela Okoro enlightened participants on direct intervention and project-based trainings and how they can avail themselves of the opportunities through signing up on the NOGICJQS portal for their competencies to be accessed.
Mrs. Okoro reiterated that under the Nigerian Content Human Capacity Development Framework, thousands of young Nigerians have been trained and attached to various projects in the oil and gas sector to gain requisite industry experience and ultimately permanent employment.
She disclosed success stories and testimonials of beneficiaries who have either been gainfully employed within Nigeria as well as other parts of the world, and those who are employers of labour through entrepreneurship.
In a vote of thanks, the Supervisor, Stakeholder Management/Government Relations in the Corporate Communication Division of the Board, Mr. Nyoki Ita enjoined participants to apply what they learnt at the workshop.
Mr. Ita encouraged participants to keep abreast of what is required of them if they are to properly function in oil and gas operations in their communities.
He, however, thanked participants for their good conduct throughout the event.
