…. Begins to allocate spaces to investors at NOGaPS
As Nigeria enters the third year of implementing the Decade of Gas Programme, the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Engr. Simbi Kesiye Wabote, has urged action parties to provide annual status reports on the successes, issues, support required, and target completion dates.
Speaking at the Nigerian International Energy Summit (NIES) in Abuja, Wabote emphasized that the status reports would be prepared by agencies, entities, and stakeholders responsible for the various projects and initiatives identified in the Decade of Gas programme.
He also challenged stakeholders not to get distracted or lose steam in the implementation of the programme, despite a new administration set to assume office on May 29, 2023.
While calling for the continuity of the Decade of Gas programme, Wabote hinted that “it is possible that the incoming government will give the programme a new name, but we must not lose focus on the importance of gas to our energy needs and economic development.”
He added that stakeholders should continue to push the programme forward, irrespective of the change in government.
Wabote highlighted eight focus areas the Board is utilizing to drive the realization of the Decade of Gas initiative of the Federal Government.
These include Human Capacity Development, Construction of Industrial Parks, Public-Private Partnerships, and Nigerian Content Intervention Funds. Others are Research and Development, Regulatory Framework, Regional Collaboration, and Enabling Business Environment.
On the subject of capacity building programmes required to enhance the training and re-training of capable workforce for the industry, Wabote explained that NCDMB had “delivered close to 14 million manhours of training for the acquisition of various skill sets required to explore, develop, operate, and maintain hydrocarbon facilities.”
He listed some of the Board’s Human Capacity Development tools and programmes, including the Expatriate Quota Management System, STEM Education, Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET), Institutional Strengthening, ICT Centers, and Training Certifications.
Wabote noted that the Board’s capacity-building programmes were impactful and acknowledged internationally, adding that a survey carried out by African Petroleum Producers Organisation (APPO) to assess the standards in training institutions on the African continent rated Nigeria as one of the top countries with credible institutions for training the required manpower for the oil and gas industry.
Regarding updates on the construction of oil and gas industrial parks, the Executive Secretary said the Board had begun issuing allocation letters to credible investors in readiness for the commencement of operations within the NOGAPS Industrial Parks located in Bayelsa and Cross River states.
He also informed that “the NCDMB Gas Hub at Polaku is fully dedicated to the domiciliation of gas-related enterprises such as Pressure Reduction and Metering Station, CNG mother stations, LPG cylinder manufacturing plant, Gas processing facilities, power plant, and other similar facilities.”
On the theme of the summit, which is Global Perspectives for a Sustainable Energy Future, Wabote said that energy transition challenges “have brought to the fore the need for every nation to leverage its own comparative cost advantage by developing the energy resources that it has in relative abundance.”
He added that “most countries including Nigeria have a mix of these resources, and they must apply local content investments to realize sustainable energy future.”
Wabote described local content development as a philosophy that seeks to encourage the utilization of local resources such as humans, goods, services, oil, gas, wind, hydro, or solar, while promoting in-country domiciliation of value-adding activities.
He further remarked that narratives around energy transition have shifted significantly from Energy swap to Energy mix, and this was because of the factual recognition that all forms of energy are important, rather than demonising one form of energy against the other, simply because some nations have depleted their reserves of certain energy sources.
He also noted that the European Union had re-classified gas and nuclear energy as Green-energy in 2022, while “coal production and consumption are on the resurgence as discussions are now about how to make it cleaner rather than referring to coal as ‘dirty fuel’.”
