Nigerian Content: We’ve achieved self-sufficiency in fabrication – NCDMB

Nathan Tamarapreye, Yenagoa

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) says it has achieved self-sufficiency in indigenous fabrication and is already exporting fabrication capacity to other African countries.

The NCDMB on Tuesday announced the conclusion of a 260,000 metric tonne project for Nigerian offshore oilfields by wholly indigenous expertise and manpower.

Mr Esueme Dan-Kikile, General Manager, Corporate Communications at NCDM announced the feat at the 2023 Capacity Building Workshop for Media Stakeholders in Port Harcourt.

According to the Board, the country presently has excess fabrication capacity, adding that projects that would have been fabricated elsewhere in the world can now be conveniently domiciled in Nigeria following the implementation of the Nigerian Content policy.

Dan-Kikile explained that there was nothing in the oil and gas sector that needed to be fabricated in the world, which Nigerians could not handle.

He said that Local Content in the Nigerian Oil and Gas sector is currently at 54 per cent, adding that the Board’s new leadership under the new Executive Secretary hopes to grow it to 70 per cent by 2027.

He emphasised the media’s importance in advancing local capacity development and urged them to scrutinise the NCDMB‘s Nigerian Content activities for greater effectiveness.

He said, “Part of the Nigerian Content 10-year plan is to ensure that there are key fabrication centres in Nigeria, and we have surpassed that target. We planned to be able to meet over a hundred metric tonnes of fabrication in-country, but as we speak, we have over 260,000 metric tonnes of fabrication in-country.

“So, we have exceeded the plans we had in place. As we speak there is excess capacity in fabrication. Some of our companies in Nigeria (PETAN) are now working outside the country, particularly in Senegal and other West African countries.

“In terms of human capacity, we have Nigerians who can sit in leadership positions in the entire oil and gas industry value chain, and that is already happening. We are not looking at 100 per cent now because we still need activities that will be done outside in terms of investors’ interest.”

Also, Mr Omomehin Ajimijaye, NCDMB’s General Manager, Research, Statistics and Development, said that the NCDMB was using Research and Development (R&D) to drive the growth of Nigerian Content

According to him, the board has set aside a $50 million R&D Fund and has established R&D Centres of excellence in five universities across Nigeria and urged Nigerian researchers to draw from the fund.

He assures that the board will continue to facilitate the acceptance of products of indigenous researched and developed that meet industry standards, as part of its effort developing enhance local capacity

“We at NCDMB give them that assurance that if you can do your research, and develop your products, that will help the industry, we will push your products to be used in the industry and given right of first refusal,” he said.

He said as part of NCDMB efforts, Nigeria was already exporting paints and cables used outside the country.

He listed the challenges facing research and development, skills gaps, infrastructure gaps, access to data, policy gaps, and research and Development culture.

The workshop drew participants from Bayelsa and Rivers.