Yemisi Izuora
The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has asked the Nigeria LNG Ltd (NLNG) to evaluate the capabilities of the beneficiaries of Project 100 programme and engage them in the execution of its Train 7 project and other related services.
This request is contained in a recent letter by the Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Engr. Simbi Kesiye Wabote to the Managing Director of NLNG, Mr. Tony Attah, titled “Introducing Project 100 Beneficiaries for Consideration on NLNG Projects.” Also enclosed in the letter was the list of the Project 100 companies, the range of services they offer to the oil and gas industry and their track records.
According to the Executive Secretary, Project 100 was conceived to identify 100 start-up oil and gas and support them through special interventions to facilitate their incubation, maturation and growth into world class service companies.
He said the programme was introduced as part of the Board’s mandate to develop the capacity of the local supply chain for effective and efficient service delivery in the oil and gas industry.
The first phase began in January 2019 and 60 companies were selected through a transparent process conducted by KPMG, an international consultancy firm. The benefits of the scheme include special interventions including access to market opportunities, access to capacity building, funding, policy prescription, research and development and business insight.
The Board has been giving these support to the companies and is committed to continue as well as offer other institutional assistance to aid the companies’ maturation into world class status.
As part of its access to market intervention, Wabote confirmed that NCDMB will regularly recommend Project 100 Companies to project promoters and big EPCI companies, for them to independently assess their capabilities for the purpose of creating business opportunities.
In this particular instance, NLNG is expected to conduct its own due diligence on the capacity of these companies and based on their proven capacities engage them for the Train 7 project.
Finally, Wabote urged NLNG to note that the involvement Project 100 Companies in its supply chain will be a major boost in the quest to collectively support local companies to become large enterprises and deepen Local Content practice in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
The areas of competencies of the Project 100 Beneficiaries include exploration, subsurface and seismic services, fabrication and construction, FEED, detailed and other engineering services, marine services and operations and inspection, testing and certiication.
Other key areas of competencies are inspection, hookup and commissioning, material and procurement, project management and consulting, well drilling services and petroleum technology as well as maintenance and modification among others.