Senate Committee On Local Content Commends NCDMB

Making the commendation during the committee oversight visit to the temporary office of NCDMB, in Yenegoa, Senator Solomon Adeola, (APC, Lagos West), the chairman of the Senate Committee, described it as a futuristic edifice with a view to generating income for the monitoring agency and government when completed.

The NCDMB headquarters building, with the main structures already completed, is a 17-storey with a four-level multi storey car park and a 1,000-seater conference centre, among other spaces for offices for both public and private sector.

“We see this project as forward-looking in terms of the future expansion envisaged for Local Content activities in our moves towards diversification of Local Content, beyond the oil and gas sectors, for the benefit of Nigeria and Nigerians,” the senator said.

Senator Adeola said that the National Assembly is in the process of broadening the NOGICD ACT of 2010, which mandates a certain preference for Nigerians and Nigerian companies in activities of oil and gas sectors, to other sectors of the economy, like ICT, construction, manufacturing and power, adding that it was envisaged that review and amendment would be concluded before the end of the Eighth National Assembly.

The senator urged the monitoring board to increase its milestones in the implementation of the NOGICD Act, which has increased in recent years for more participation and benefits for Nigeria and Nigerians, instead of the, hitherto, domination by foreign oil and gas companies.

Earlier, the Executive Secretary of the Board, Simbi Wabote, said the conference centre and the car park will be completed this year and the rest, thereafter, adding that already IOCs and oil and services companies have indicated interest in taking office spaces.

“The board intends to use eight floors, with one floor for leadership training and another floor for research and development.

We already have operating companies making requests for office spaces as the place will be energy efficient,” the executive secretary said.