By John Ikani
The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) on Thursday in Okochiri, Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State, engaged the womenfolk in an enlightenment drive aimed at raising awareness on the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act, 2010, and its benefits to communities and the nation.
Speaking at the one-day event in the Okochiri Ultra-modern Town Hall, the General Manager, Corporate Communication and Zonal Coordination, NCDMB, Mrs. Angela Okoro, said the NOGICD Act seeks to enhance indigenous participation in every segment of the oil and gas industry value chain, and that women must get meaningfully involved for the greater good of society.
The Act, she stated, mandates the Board “to build the capacities of Nigerians” in appropriate skill sets and develop their capabilities in diverse areas inclusive of operational assets to enable them compete effectively with expatriates and foreign companies in the industry.
According to her, over 16,000 Nigerians have been trained and duly certified in vocational fields, which include metal machining, welding, and pipe fitting, as well as Information and Communication Technology (ICT), among several others.
Graduates of various academic disciplines have also undergone training in entrepreneurship and remedial programmes for those with engineering-related backgrounds.
She said the NCDMB, which is the industry regulator, has undertaken numerous initiatives, most of which are contained in its ‘Nigerian Content 10-Year Strategic Road Map,’ which was launched in 2017 to enhance domestication and domiciliation of oil and gas operations.
The General Manager urged the women to key into the Board’s capacity-building programmes by accessing the NCDMB database through the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Joint Qualification System (NOGIC-JQS) for essential information on training and job opportunities in the industry, and follow the procedures set out there.
“If you train a woman in a skill, you train a nation,” she declared to underscore the importance the Board attaches to such targeted capacity-building and empowerment schemes, adding, “A woman stands for everybody.”
Mrs. Okoro also drew the attention of the women to the NCDMB’s Community Content Guideline, which embodies what host communities of oil and gas companies could legitimately expect from operations taking place within their areas in terms of employment and human capital development, project office and community office, and procurement of goods and services, among other things.
The Guideline states, for instance, that “All operations and/or projects above $100 million or duration above 2 years shall open and maintain a project office in the catchment area as part of the project organization.”
In regard to employment, the Guideline stipulates that “All unskilled job roles (e.g. cleaners, porters, grass-cutters, etc.)” be “exclusively reserved for indigenes of the host community or communities where a project is domiciled,” and that “At least 50% of semi-skilled job roles (e.g. drivers, gardeners, storekeepers, janitors, etc.) “be exclusively reserved for indigenes of the host community….”
The General Manager advised the women to organise themselves in groups according to their vocations and trades to be able to speak with one voice in interactions with companies and contractors doing business in their respective communities.
She pointed out that there is also a Nigerian Content Intervention Fund (NCIF), established by the NCDMB to aid indigenous companies with financing, which is being managed by the Bank of Industry (BOI).
In the entourage of the General Manager to the sensitisation/enlightenment event were Chief Dallas Asangolo, NCDMB Zonal Coordinator for Rivers and Bayelsa States, and his counterpart for Abia and Imo States, Dr. Emma Ohanyere.
The community women, through a spokesperson, expressed profound appreciation to the NCDMB for the interaction afforded them through the event, and assured that the information and guidance provided would be put into use.
