In a move to bolster local content in Nigeria's oil and gas industry, President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of new members to the Governing Council of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB). This initiative aims to fill existing vacancies and enhance the board's capacity to oversee and promote indigenous participation in the sector.
The newly appointed members are:
- Olusegun Omosehin – Representing the National Insurance Commission.
- Engr. Wole Ogunsanya – Representing the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria.
- Sam Onyechi – Representing the Nigerian Content Consultative Forum.
- Barrister Owei Oyanbo – Representing the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.
These appointments complement the existing council members announced earlier, including:
- Senator Heineken Lokpobiri – Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil) and Chairman of the NCDMB Governing Council.
- Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe – Executive Secretary of NCDMB.
- Mrs. Oritsemyiwa Eyesan – Executive Vice President, Gas, Power, and New Energy, Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd (NNPCL).
- Engr. Gbenga Komolafe – Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Upstream Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).
- Mrs. Bekearedebo Augusta Warrens – Representative of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.
- Mr. Nicholas Odinuwe – Chairman, Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN).
- Mr. Olorundare Sunday Thomas – Commissioner for Insurance and Chief Executive Officer, National Insurance Commission (NAICOM).
- Prof. Sadiq Abubakar – Chairman, Council for the Regulation of Engineering (COREN).
- Dr. Raphael Samuel – Representative of the Nigerian Content Consultative Forum (NCCF).
The NCDMB was established under the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act of 2010 to promote the development and utilization of local capacities in the oil and gas industry. The Governing Council, as stipulated by the Act, comprises representatives from key institutions within the sector, ensuring a collaborative approach to policy formulation and implementation.
In his remarks, President Tinubu emphasized the critical role of the new council members in advancing the administration's goal of achieving 70% indigenous content and participation in the nation's energy industry. He urged them to leverage their diverse expertise to drive initiatives that will enhance local content, stimulate industrial development, create jobs, and foster sustainable economic growth.
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, who chairs the council, expressed confidence in the newly constituted team. He highlighted the importance of building indigenous human and infrastructural capacities to enable Nigerians to play critical roles in the oil and gas industry. Senator Lokpobiri also noted that many African countries are looking to Nigeria's local content model as a benchmark, underscoring the need to deepen implementation and maintain leadership in this area.
The NCDMB Governing Council is tasked with managing and overseeing the affairs of the board, ensuring that its objectives are met in line with the provisions of the NOGICD Act. The inclusion of representatives from various organizations and professional bodies is designed to bring a wealth of experience and perspectives to the council's deliberations, fostering policies that will benefit the Nigerian oil and gas industry and the economy at large.
As the new members assume their roles, stakeholders in the oil and gas sector anticipate enhanced strategies and actions that will further entrench local content development, positioning Nigeria as a leader in indigenous participation within the global energy landscape.