Joseph Bakare/Agency Report
THE Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NOAC) and the Nigeria Content Development and Monitoring Board, (NCDMB) have asked companies to develop and optimize local talents deploy efficient and competitive business strategies to remain relevant and deliver sustained socio-economic benefits irrespective of the delicate economy and unstable oil prices.
The Vice Chairman and Managing Director of NOAC, Massimo Insulla, and the Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Denzil Kentebe, gave the charge at the 2015 ENI Nigeria Content Week.
Insulla said the program which started in 2011 was aimed at helping small and medium local contractors especially, community contractors to grow entrepreneurial capacity to manage their own business more efficiently for the purpose of sustainability and profitability.
The NOAC MD disclosed that , the firm has successfully trained and qualified 180 vendors, adding that at the end of this year’s Nigeria content week, additional 180 vendors would be qualified, thereby, bringing the number of qualified vendors to 360.
Insulla also explained that the vendors exhibition,gap closure and opportunities engagement which is part of the week-long activities has in the past, closed a number of gaps prescribed by the Nigeria Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act.2010 (NOGICD Act) related to onshore activities.
He said 60 companies participated in the program last year while the company in collaboration with PETAN is involving Original Equipment Manucacturers, marine vessel owners,drilling service providers, small scale manucfacturers among others in this year’s program.
Insulla stressed that 130 promising companies that were unable to scale the Nigeria Content prequalification previously, were slated to participate in this year’s vendor upgrade,awareness and sensitization engagement.
He added: “From the number of vendors I have mentioned for each program, you can appreciate that these seven working days of our Nigeria content week, a total of 370 vendors cutting across all strata, small, medium,promising and successful Nigeria companies as well OEMs shall be interacting for the purpose of promoting and advancing Nigeria Content”.
Kentebe lauded the firm’s initiative, stressing that the board desires that the efforts be consolidated to produce world class vendors, entrepreneurs that will take advantage of the structures it is building such as the Nigeria Oil and Gas Parks Scheme.
He, however, challenged the industry and operators to take the project to the next level where the breakthroughs in technology would be showcased,execution of bigger and more complex work done by local vendors which would stand as gains to the initiative.
He said: “ I will also want to see operators presenting future workshop, projects, procurement plans earmarked for the local market which local vendors, service providers and manucfacturers can target as they build capacity and are encouraged to form synergies.
Also speaking, Chairman ,House Committee on Local Content, Emmanuel Ekon, said the initiative by the company to train local contractors to enhance efficiency is a welcome development.
He stated that the move would help grow the economy, promising that the House would continue to put in place laws that would be useful to the nation’s economy.