The Executive Secretary, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, has assured Nigerian oil and gas service companies of continued support to sustain the impressive growth in local content and to boost their production operations.

Speaking during a facility tour of the 10,000-square-metre fabrication yard of Lee Engineering and Construction Company Limited, Warri, Delta State on Friday, he recalled similar visits he had made to other service companies across the country, stating that he was highly impressed with facilities and competencies acquired in the pursuit of local content development.

Amazed at the assortment of top-grade engineering equipment and industrial machinery parts in the expansive operational base of the company along N.P.A. Expressway, he exclaimed, “Seeing is believing, I’ve come, have seen!” Commenting further, he said, “Am so impressed with your facilities.”

Engr. Ogbe congratulated Lee Engineering on its 34 years of active engagement in engineering, construction, operations, and maintenance (EPCOM) services with major oil and gas industry players, such as Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCO), Chevron Nigeria Limited, ExxonMobil, and TotalEnergies Limited, among others, as clients.

He noted with pleasure that the company has successfully undertaken over 350 major projects in the industry and has an excellent record of “zero incident, zero downtime” in its decades of operations.

“I will collaborate with your company and ensure that jobs you can do will come here,” he declared, adding, “We are here as enablers to business…[and] I will work with any company that can increase production in the country.” He also expressed interest in the company’s solar technology, which he said would be required “to provide electricity to ICT [Information and Communication Technology] Centres” established by the NCDMB in several secondary schools across the Niger Delta and other parts of the country.

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Lee Engineering and Construction Company, Chief (Dr.) Leemon Ikpea, thanked the Executive Secretary and his entourage for the facility visit.

He said the company, whose corporate headquarters is in Ikoyi, Lagos, was incorporated in 1991, and currently has several subsidiaries operating in Warri, Port Harcourt, as well as in Europe and the United States.

Recalling the state of the oil and gas industry in Nigeria in the early 1990s, he noted that the dominance of foreign companies and production inputs, and the attendant massive capital flight, was exceedingly disturbing and ruinous to the Nigerian economy and that Nigerian engineers in the sector like him became agitated and initiated the push for local content.

According to him, the enactment of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD] Act, 2010, marked a turning point for the industry and the nation as indigenous oil and gas companies were thus enabled to vie for and execute projects.

Arguing that “Foreign companies cannot transfer technology to us,” he said it is only indigenous companies that could and have demonstrated such potential through intensive capacity building programmes, acquisition and deployment of hi-tech operational equipment and actual execution of projects.

He drew attention to the company’s feats in industrial equipment manufacture, the over 350 projects executed by Lee Engineering thus far, -including the Utorogu Gas Plant and the 150,000-barrel-per day Odidi Flow Station, and a workforce of 3,500 Nigerians to buttress his claim regarding the remarkable success achieved by indigenous companies.

According to him, “This is a sign that local content is working.” He thanked the NCDMB for living up to the billing as an enabler of businesses.

On the team of the NCDMB team to Lee Engineering were the General Manager, Corporate Communications and Zonal Coordination, Esueme Dan Kikile, Esq., Senior Technical Assistant to the Executive Secretary, Engr. Mofe Megbele, Zonal Coodinator, Delta and Edo States, Engr. James Eyetigha, and others.

The annual science quiz competition sponsored by Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) in Rivers State concluded on Saturday with Government Secondary School Oyigbo emerging as the champions in the senior secondary school S.S. 2 category.

This year’s contest centred on the theme “Artificial Intelligence (AI): Innovating the Future.” The quiz was open to students in S.S. 1 and S.S. 2 across secondary schools in Rivers State. Government Secondary School Oyigbo triumphed over six other finalists in the grand finale. Bonny National Grammar School and Niger Delta Science School, Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic, Port Harcourt, secured second and third places, respectively. The remaining finalists were Birabi Memorial Grammar School, Bori (4th place); Community secondary school oroworukwo (5th place); Community secondary school Ogbogbo, Okrika (6th place); and Enitonna High School Borikiri, Port Harcourt. (7th place).

The competition unfolded in three phases: the Olympiad, the Championship, and the Grand Finale.

In the S.S. 1 category, the competition ended at the Championship stage with Community Secondary School IgboEtche, claiming the top prize. Niger Delta Science School, and Nigerian Navy Secondary School, Borikiri earned second and third places, respectively.

“We are exceptionally proud of the students who participated in this competition,” stated Andy Odeh, NLNG’s General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development. “Their enthusiasm and knowledge are commendable, and they bring honour to their schools and Rivers State. We aspire that this competition will motivate other young individuals to delve into science and pursue careers in science-related fields,” he remarked.

Reflecting on the theme in his welcome remarks, Mr. Odeh emphasised, ” “There is no better time to expose our children and youths to these advancements than now. AI has become so integral to our lives that everyone, in some way, relies on it. From healthcare professionals using AI for precise diagnoses and treatments to students, utilising AI-powered tools for their studies, technology is enhancing our lives in countless ways. The train of progress has left the station, and we must catch up quickly if we want to be significant players in the future.”

Addressing NLNG’s commitment to education, Mr. Odeh stated, “We are proud of initiatives like the NLNG University Support Programme, where we constructed, renovated, and equipped engineering laboratories in six universities across Nigeria’s geo-political zones. We have also supported infrastructural development in host communities, renovating schools, and equipping libraries and science laboratories. Our scholarship programs—Post-Primary, Undergraduate, and Post-Graduate—continue to support students, particularly in our host communities in Rivers State.”

Representing Dr Ovy Chinedum Chukwuma, the Rivers State Commissioner of Education, Mrs Ebere Dennis-Emenike, the Permanent Secretary of the Rivers State Ministry of Education, emphasised that NLNG has exposed children and youths to the future through the competition. She added that the children and youths are being equipped with skills to think-out-the-box and fend for themselves.

Dr Peters Nwagor, the chairman of the Rivers State Science Teachers Association of Nigeria (STAN), stressed that the quiz has consciously and significantly promoted critical thinking and knowledge, problem solving skill, the development of time management and pressure handling skills, and interdepent and interdisplinary connection among the students. The quiz has also fostered teamwork, collaboration and healthy competition among the students, he said.

The competition was organised by Dragnet Solutions Limited in collaboration with the Rivers State Ministry of Education and the Science Teachers Association of Nigeria (STAN), Rivers State Chapter.

The NLNG Science Quiz Competition provides children and youths an interactive way to learn about science, raising awareness of its importance in society.

Cross-section of NCDMB management and members of the Senate Committee on Local Content at the 3-day retreat at Abuja, aimed at forging closer collaboration between the two entities and improving implementation of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act.

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and the Senate Committee on Local Content on Sunday began a 3-day retreat at Abuja, aimed at forging closer collaboration between the two entities, to achieve improved implementation of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act.

The theme of the retreat is creating synergy for sustainable local content development and was attended by members of the committee and some senior management of the NCDMB.

Speaking at the opening ceremony on Monday, the Executive Secretary NCDMB, Engr.  Felix Omatsola Ogbe underscored the importance of collaboration with relevant stakeholders in managing and growing Nigerian Content in the oil and gas industry. He stated that the retreat is a key platform for actualising the needed collaboration, describing the National Assembly as one of the most important stakeholders to collaborate with.

He reiterated that the Board is focused on fulfilling the mandate set out by the NOGICD Act, which is basically to build the capacity of Nigerian companies and people to participate in the oil and gas industry and to monitor the compliance of oil and gas companies. He stressed that the mandate has not changed with the change of leadership in the Board.

Speaking further, Ogbe maintained that his major objective in the current role is how to sustain the growth of Nigerian Content in the oil and gas industry.

Commenting on the performance of the Board, the Executive Secretary indicated that NCDMB operates as a business enabler and supports the value chain efficiency and project delivery. He added that “consistent with the recent Presidential Directives on Local Content and in line with our Service Level Agreement (SLA) with the oil and gas industry, we are simplifying our processes and accelerating our approval timeline to enable business delivery.” He also announced that the Board was coming up with a programme where it would upgrade the quality of some primary and secondary schools in the hinterlands, as a strategy to develop competent manpower for the oil and gas industry in years to come.

In her remarks, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Local Content, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan lauded the successes that have been recorded with the implementation of the NOGICD Act, especially in the development of critical assets and the emergence of Nigerians with the requisite skills to deliver complex projects and lead operations of the oil and gas industry.

She however identified huge gaps for improvements, noting that the retreat provided the opportunity to create the needed interface with key stakeholders. She emphasised that close collaborations lead to higher productivity and impact, which would benefit members of the public.

She also canvassed that trainees of the Board’s on-the-job training and direct training programmes should be engaged by the oil and gas industry, otherwise, the resources committed to their training would have been wasted.

The retreat featured presentations from key directorates of the Board, including the Director, Monitoring and Evaluation, Mr. Abdulmalik Halilu, who discussed how monitoring activities are carried out by the Board, to ensure that operating and service companies comply with the provisions of the NOGICD Act. He explained that the Nigerian Content Compliance Certificate (NCCC) which is the outcome of the Board’s Projects Certification and Authorization process is converted into the monitoring template and used to monitor the operations of oil and gas firms.

Also speaking, the Director, Projects Certification and Authorisation Division (PCAD), Engr. Abayomi Bamidele suggested that players of the Nigerian oil and gas industry must ensure that at least one final investment decision (FID) is taken every year, to keep oil and gas service facilities, investments and employees engaged.

L-R: Executive Secretary, Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Dr Hamid Bobboyi and the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe after the meeting between the chief executives at NCDMB’s Abuja liaison office. Executive Secretary, Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Dr Hamid Bobboyi and the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe with top management staff of both agencies after the meeting between the chief executives at NCDMB’s Abuja liaison office on Tuesday.

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) have agreed to collaborate towards upgrading basic education in the country and building capacities of young Nigerians towards meeting the needs of the ever-changing oil and gas industry and the linkages sectors.

The partnership opportunities were explored on Tuesday when the Executive Secretary NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe hosted his counterpart from UBEC, Dr. Hamid Bobboyi at the Board’s Abuja liaison office. The leaders agreed to set up a joint committee that would finalise details of their agencies’ collaboration, with the overall goal of contributing meaningfully to the future of the Nigerian economy.

The kernel of the meeting attended by the top management of both organisations centred on how NCDMB could partner UBEC to upgrade some dilapidated primary and junior secondary schools dotted across the country, train teachers and upgrade critical facilities to meet the demands of the present age. Conversations also hovered around making basic education work sustainably, developing digital resource centres and smart school systems as well as synergising efforts of stakeholders in the education sector for maximum impact.

Before this engagement, NCDMB had developed over 150 ICT centres in secondary schools across the country and upgraded select technical colleges as well as intervened in some universities as part of its institutional strengthening programme, supported by international and indigenous oil producing companies.

In his remarks, the Executive Secretary of NCDMB announced the introduction of a bespoke capacity-building project tagged “Back to the Creeks/ Villages.” The initiative would seek to revamp dilapidated primary schools, especially in the creeks of the Niger Delta and other parts of the country, develop their infrastructure, teaching personnel and curriculum to world-class standards and make the interventions sustainable.

Ogbe revealed his passion for contributing to the development of remote parts of Nigeria and mentioned that he had started engaging some international oil producing companies. He hopes the oil companies will embrace the initiative and channel their human capacity development (HCD) budgets to the new programme for symbiotic benefits.

He underscored the strategic need to begin at the basic education level to develop capacities of young Nigerians, rather than intervening at the senior secondary or tertiary levels.

The Executive Secretary said the detailed strategy for the “Back to the Creeks/Villages” was still being fine-tuned and would soon be unveiled to industry stakeholders.

He assured the UBEC boss that NCDMB would partner with the agency, beginning with the training of teachers, harping that the success of the collaboration would attract other entities to partner with UBEC.

He emphasised the need to develop complete project scopes and to make every intervention sustainable. This can be achieved he explained, by deliberately getting the benefitting communities to take ownership of the projects. .

Earlier in his remarks, the Executive Secretary of UBEC suggested that NCDMB should partner with the agency to develop, equip and operate Digital Resources Centres and Smart School Solutions in states of the federation.

The UBEC boss bemoaned the embarrassing state of basic educational institutions across the country and remarked that a nation that neglected the first level education had invariably embraced a bleak economic future and dysfunctional society.

He rued several challenges that impact the development of basic education in the country, such as insufficient budget, and lack of interest by some state governors. among other issues. He highlighted the need for collaboration with stakeholders, to leverage extra resources for the sub-sector.

In their contributions, the Director, Corporate Services NCDMB, Dr. Ama Ikuru commented that NCDMB’s interventions in schools and other centres of learning in the past 14 years were in furtherance of its mandate of building requisite capacities for the Nigerian oil and gas industry and linkage sectors.

Likewise, the Director, Monitoring and Evaluation, Mr. Abdulmalik Halilu advised that the Board’s collaboration with UBEC must be guided by four pillars, notably needs assessment, sustainability plans, enablers for execution and identification of funding sources.