Lawmaker Urges FG to Extend Local Content Regulation in Oil, Gas to Other Sectors

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

A member of the House of Representatives representating Aguata Federal Constituency of Anambra State, Hon. Dominic Okafor, has advised the federal government to extend the local content Act in the oil and gas industry to other sectors of the economy.

Okafor, who made the call while speaking with newsmen in Abuja, yesterday, said the success and accomplishments recorded in the implementation of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act prompted the clamor for the extension of the law to other sectors.

He was of the opinion that government should encourage indigenous participation in the construction sector, saying no country could develop technologically by depending solely on the expertise of other nationals
The lawmaker urged engineers to always adhere to relevant codes of engineering practice, enforce maintenance of discipline and strict standards of ethics in the practice of the engineering profession in Nigeria.

Okafor, further called on the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), to put more measures in place to curtail the activities of quacks in the country.

His words: ”Most of the contracts that are done in oil and gas are done by expatriate companies until the local content Act was put in place such that unless you don’t have a Nigerian company that does certain jobs, you don’t bring expatriates.

“And what has it help to do? It helped Nigeria to develop capacity in technology transfer. It has helped Nigerian companies to a level.
“But when you say it must be done by a Nigerian company, what Nigeria can do is to partner with some oversea companies.”

Okafor, explained that this would not only generate employment opportunities for Nigerians, but would also save the country huge foreign exchange being spent on goods and services already available in the country.

He added: “I don’t see why a lot of governors will not patronise Nigeria industry because practice makes perfect. If you do it over and over again, it becomes perfect.

“But in a situation where they all prefer to give the jobs to the known names, they are not helping Nigeria business men to grow.”