By John Ikani
The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and the authorities of the Senegalese Petroleum Industry on Tuesday agreed on signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to guide Nigeria’s support for the development of Local Content in Senegal.
This agreement was reached during a meeting in Lagos between the Executive Secretary of the Board, Engr. Simbi Wabote and key officials of the Senegalese Petroleum Industry.
The move is part of Nigeria’s strategic support to the development of Local Content across the African continent, which has already been extended to Ghana, Niger Republic, Uganda, Kenya, Gabon, Ugandan, and Congo Brazzaville.
Speaking after the meeting, the Executive Secretary stated that the MoU will provide the pathway for the details of the collaboration, stressing the need for cooperation amongst African countries for the sustainable development of the oil and gas industry in the continent.
He added that Nigeria has acquired a lot of experience in Local Content development and is well-positioned to support other African nations that had discovered hydrocarbon resources recently.
The Senegalese team was led by Mr. Alpha Sy, the Technical Secretary of the National Committee for Local Content in Senegal and he stated that their nation is a new entrant to the oil industry and is keen to build local capacities and domesticate key operations in the sector in-country.
He added that they decided to learn best practices in Local Content from Nigeria to make the implementation in their jurisdiction a reality.
In his remarks, the pioneer Executive Secretary of the NCDMB, Dr. Ernest Nwapa described the planned MoU between Nigeria and Senegal as evidence that key initiatives of Nigerian Content development had been consolidated over the years and had become a model for African countries.
He underscored the need for the Senegalese Government to take their Local Content policy seriously, design a plan for implementation and pay attention to capacity building of their locals.
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