Yemisi Izuora
The Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), the production subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), has promised to comply with the provisions of the Nigerian and Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act and other guidelines of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board(NCDMB).
The Managing Director Mr. Yusuf Matashi made the commitment on Monday in Abuja during a meeting with the Executive Secretary of the NCDMB, Engr. Simbi Kesiye Wabote.
He said the company would not be seeking waivers from the Board for its projects, rather it would abide by the provisions of the Act, especially as it relates to carrying out competitive bidding and utilizing Nigerian oil and gas service companies and locally manufactured goods and services.
Matashi assured that the company would approach the Board to obtain Nigerian Content Plan (NCP) approval as required by the NOGICD Act for all its future projects in excess of one million dollars. NCP sets out work scopes that would be executed in-country and guides project execution and monitoring. He promised to direct the company’s personnel on the primacy of Nigerian Content guidelines to project execution.
The Managing Director also solicited the Board’s support to develop and institutionalize Nigerian Content systems and processes within the NPDC to ensure compliance. Part of the support his company would need, he noted includes workshop or training for staff of NPDC on Nigerian Content requirements and processes.
In his comments, the Managing Director of NETCO, Mr.Yakubu Mustapha stated that his subsidiary is a major beneficiary of the Nigerian Content Act. He added that NETCO could not have been able to compete with its international counterparts but for the Nigerian Content Act which has enabled it to grow and build requisite capacity.
In his comments, the Executive Secretary underscored the need for close collaboration between the Board and NPDC. He charged NPDC to be a role model for the industry in terms ofNigerian Content compliance, considering especially that the NNPC played leading roles in the development and enforcement of the Nigerian Content policy and establishment of the NCDMB.