Engr Simbi Kesiye Wabote (FNSE, FIPS) Executive Secretary, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has commended the laudable

strides of the Federal University of Petroleum Resources, FUPRE, Effurun, Delta State for playing a leading role as a centre of academic excellence in the provision of research and leadership in energy discovery which, he said, was benefiting to society as a whole.

Engr Simbi Kesiye Wabote who featured as a Guest Speaker in the University 3rd

Convocation Lecture held on Friday 17th June 2022, stating that  since the  establishment of FUPRE in 2007 and since the intake of its first set of 113 foundation students, the PetroleumUniversity has continued to wax stronger as the first university of petroleum in Africa and the sixth ( 6 " ) in the world.

 According to Wabote, FUPRE'S  mission and vision  is consistent with the position of Nigeria as having the largest deposit of hydrocarbon resources in Africa and ‘’we must commend the foresight of the Federal Government that resulted in the establishment of FUPRE fifteen (15) years ago as a full - fledged citadel of learning to prepare bright minds to drive the development of our hydrocarbon sector’’, he said. 

 The Local Content Board Chief Executive who spoke on a theme titled: "Defining the Value of Local Content in Petroleum Education" posited that the lecture was  apt as ‘’local content development is now an integral part of the Nigerian oil and gas  industry, especially with regard to driving development across the industry."

Engr Wabote noted that  the ongoing debate and indeed the deadlines being set in respect of energy transition brings to fore the need for development of home grown skill that are set to develop and manage the nation's natural resources.

He stressed that there is need for  Nigeria to develop a Nigerian content economy by a systematic development of capacity and capabilities through the deliberate utilization of Nigerian human, material resources and services in the Nigerian oil and gas industry 

He said: "Nigeria is blessed with an abundance of human and natural resources. With a population estimated at 206 million which is about half of the entire population of West Africa, that is enough to make impact for any nation which is desirous and truly willing to make progress."

 Wabote emphasized to the audience that ‘’we are indeed a burgeoning market which makes us a force to be reckoned with especially within the African continent. We are blessed with enormous oil and gas deposits which makes Nigeria a key player in the global hydrocarbon landscape. 

‘’Despite these huge hydrocarbon deposits, the gains of the oil and gas industry did not translate to much for the people and the economy of the nation as the sector which was dominated by foreigners and foreign equipment, goods and services for more than 50 years, the oil and gas industry experienced massive capacity flight and phenomenal job losses which resulted in local content level of less than 5 %. 

‘’In a bid to change this ominous narrative, government enacted the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act of 2010 which, among others , established the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board as the sole Agency of government responsible for  driving the development of local content in the oil and gas industry’’, he added. 

The NCDMB boss explained that the agency has two key mandates which are to develop local capacities and capabilities and to monitor compliance and enforce provisions of NOGICD Act 2010.

He emphasized that over time experience in local development  has shown that the development of sustainable local content requires a combination of six Key elements with a road map hinged on five pillars and four enablers  which involves technical capability development, development of critical skills, and Infrastructure that are required and utilized in the oil and gas industry.

Wado Admin

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