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www.thisdaylive.com/articles/nigerian-content-board-trains-staff-on-oil-gas-parks-scheme/190210/

The Nigerian Content Development and
Monitoring Board (NCDMB) at the
weekend concluded the training of
members of its staff, who would
spearhead the design and operation of
the Nigerian Oil and Gas Parks Scheme
(NOGAPS), with the first phase
scheduled to be sited in Bayelsa, Imo
and Cross Rivers States.
The training was held in Yenagoa,
Bayelsa State across nine weeks with
the 45 participants also embarking on
field trips to Onne Oil and Gas Free
Trade Zone, Rivers State and Utuokein
in Ogbia Local Government Area of
Bayelsa State.

Speaking at of the programme , the
Executive Secretary of the NCDMB, Mr.
Ernest Nwapa explained that the
training was conceived to instill the
selected participants with a mindset
that would be focused on development
and manufacturing.

He charged them to apply the
knowledge they acquired in realising the
oil and gas park projects.
According to him, the NCDMB
embarked on the development of the
parks in a bid to promote manufacturing
of oil and gas components and provide
opportunities for research and
development.

He listed other benefits to include
bringing Local Content practice closer
to the grass roots and integrating oil
and gas based entrepreneurs into
manufacturing as well as supporting the
growth of Small and Medium
Enterprises (SMEs) through mentoring
by international Original Equipment
Manufacturers (OEMs) and other
multinationals.
“I want to be able to point at some
monuments and say that apart from
insisting that the industry grow and do
the right thing, create jobs and value in
Nigeria, we have also as an agency of
government created this pipe mill, this
oil and gas park and changed the way
things are done in the industry,” he
added.
He also expressed hope that
international producing oil companies
and service companies will participate in
the scheme to make it a success and
charged industry stakeholders to focus
on manufacturing of components as
against short term contracting which
had been the bane of the sector.
In his goodwill message, the General
Manager, Nigerian Content, Exxon
Mobil, Mr. Sola Ogunsakin pledged the
commitment of international oil
companies towards making the Oil and
Gas Parks Scheme a success.
“We believe in this programme and we
are going to contribute our quota
towards making it a success. The Board
has taken several giant strides in
promoting the Nigerian Content since
the enactment of the Act. This is going
to attract foreign and domestic
investments, promote community
participation, manufacturing and foster
the mentoring of local small and
medium scale enterprises,” HE SAID.
In their comments, the trainees
commended the Board for taking them
through an elaborate programme which
exposed them to the philosophy and
operations of oil and gas industrial parks
and promised to apply their acquired
knowledge into good use when the
projects begin.