Wabote Seeks Partnership on Capacity Development Among African Oil-producing Countries

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Mr. Simbi Wabote has called for close collaboration among African oil-producing countries, particularly in human capacity development, joint development of energy projects as well as research and development.

He spoke at the  2022 Africa Energy Week (AEW), where he charged African oil producers to break down barriers that often prevent African countries from deepening African Content practice and economic collaboration.

A statement from the NCDMB quoted him as listing such issues to include language, currencies, immigration, and bias towards the dictates of colonial masters.

He advised African leaders and businesses to recognise that poverty does not discriminate against race, religion, or gender, hence they must join hands within the continent and across the globe to tackle common challenges.

The executive secretary expressed delight with the emerging collaborations amongst countries and institutions in Africa, especially in infrastructure projects and provision of funding.

Other ongoing cooperative initiatives include the formation of the African Petroleum Producers Organization (APPO), the African Local Content Roundtable, and the recent effort by APPO to establish an Africa Energy Fund.

Speaking further on the topic ‘’A Return to African Hands: Pragmatic Local Content, Africa Content and Asset Transfer”, Wabote explained that six essential parameters are needed to achieve sustainable local content programme.

 The parameters include an enabling regulatory framework backed with the appropriate legislation, baseline and periodic gap analysis to determine gaps that require closure in the areas of skills, facilities and infrastructure.

According to him, structured capacity-building intervention is also needed to spur the development of in-country capacities and capabilities. This, he said, will include local manufacturing, infrastructural development and human capacity development.

Other parameters needed for local content growth include funding and incentives, research and development, which drives the development of home-grown technology and lastly, access to market.

The Executive Secretary listed some of the achievements recorded in the implementation of local content in Nigeria, including the increase in the value of in-country retention from five per cent, which subsisted before the enactment of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act to 47 per cent.

He also mentioned the development of two world-class pipe mills, and five impressive pipe coating yards as some of the achievements.