Nigerian-British Chamber of Commerce (NBCC) and Lagos Deep offshore Logistics Base (LADOL) are strategising to deepen local content in the oil and gas industry, in other to create employment for millions of Nigerian.
At a recent breakfast meeting organised by the chamber, both organisations identified gains that had been made in increasing local content, but stated that much more still needed to be done to ensure that the country achieve its potential of becoming West Africa hub for business.
“Things are improving, Nigeria is opening up now than before and the current recession reality is creating a lot of this. But there is still a lot that needs to be done by the government to ensure that local content is actually effective in the country,” Amy Jadesimi, managing director, LADOL, said at the meeting in Lagos.
“The market does not have a fair level playing ground but it is closer than we have been in the past but we are not yet there,” Jadesimi said.
She stated that despite improvements in government commitment on local content, local players still do not have a fair level playing ground because there were still people within the government that want to bring back the foreign controlled monopoly by sabotaging the economy.
This is in line with an assertion made recently by Simbi Kesiye Wabote, executive secretary, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), that the local content had increased from 3 percent in 2010 to 30 percent now, but more still need to be done.
Jadesimi identified the importance for the development of the country’s infrastructure while focusing on the huge manifest to the economy such as Nigeria entering into the G20, wide spread employment for millions of people and billions of dollar investments into the country.
In his welcome address, Adedapo Adelegan, president, NBCC, said, “The Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry has really developed, due to the focus of increasing indigenous participation in the industry.
“This is reflected through the Nigerian government initiative of increasing Local Content and ensuring that indigenous companies have a greater part in developing oil and gas asset.”
Josephine Okojie
