The Energy Republic February - March Edition 2023

SAIPEC 2023 STORIES
NCDMB Boss Lists Strategies For Local Content Regional
Collaboration, Signs Agreement with Senegal
Amid global concerns over energy
Nigeria and other African countries the
security and a regional resolve on
partnership opportuni es for sourcing
collabora on to deepen local
content, the Execu ve Secretary,
Nigerian Content Development and
Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Engr. Simbi
Kesiye Wabote, has proposed strategies
that would break down barriers and
promote cross-border collabora on
amongst governments and businesses.
H e m a d e t h e s u g g e s o n s i n a
presenta on he made at the opening of
the 7th SAIPEC Sub-Saharan Africa
Interna onal Petroleum Exhibi on and
Conference in Lagos on Tuesday, hin ng
on the need for peer review mechanisms,
and sharing of experiences and ideas on
industry sustainability and growth.
The event provided a pla orm for the
NCDMB to sign a memorandum of
understanding (MoU) with the Technical
Secretary of the Na onal Content
Monitoring Commi ee of Senegal (ST-
CNSCL), the agency that is responsible for
the coordina on and supervision of the
development and implementa on of the
local content strategies in the Senegalese
oil and gas sector.
Under the terms of the MoU, NCDMB will
offer ST-CNSCL strategic advice and
g u i d a n c e i n t h e a r e a s o f l a w s ,
frameworks, knowledge exchange,
procedures for baseline study, data
collec on on capaci es that exist in
Senegal, design of strategic plan for local
content implementa on in Senegal and
other capacity development ini a ves.
Speaking further, Wabote drew the
a en on of sub-Saharan Africa’s Ministers of
Petroleum to the rela vely high crude oil price
levels and upswing poten als experienced
from 2021 to date and the geo-poli cal
dynamics at play, highligh ng the challenge for
African oil and gas service providers “to
partake in the development and maintenance
of oil fields,” which could be best facilitated
through a deliberate ac on plan.
In his paper en tled “Sub-Saharan Africa Local
Content Collabora on Strategies,” the
Execu ve Secretary said the ac on plan under
considera on centres on legal framework,
funding, infrastructure, human capacity
development, and research and development.
He equally highlighted ini a ves and grounds
covered by the Nigerian Government through
the NCDMB in local content development and
how other African oil producers could benefit
from these.
A legal framework, as he pointed out, is an
enabling legal or regulatory framework, a basic
requirement “to drive and develop local
content sustainability.” That would be the
cri cal instrument “to forge a collabora ve
A f r i ca l o cal content st rategy.” T h at
requirement, he observed, has been taken
care of by the African Con nental Free Trade
Agreement (AfCFTA), which he noted “created
the world’s largest free trade area by
integra ng 1.3 billion people across 54 African
countries, with the objec ve of tapping into a
combined Gross Domes c Product (GDP) of
over $3 trillion.”
In the area of infrastructure, he cited Dangote
Integrated Refinery and Petrochemical
Company, with an installed capacity of 650,000
barrels per stream day (bpsd), which he noted
would “afford
petroleum products and fer lizer.” Other cri cal
infrastructure cited were Lekki Free Trade Zone,
SHI-MCI FPSO Fabrica on/Integra on Yard,
Lagos, West African Gas Pipeline Project, the
ongoing AKK gas transmission pipeline, and
NCDMB’s seven Nigerian Oil and Gas Parks
( N O G A P S ) , t w o o f w h i c h a r e d u e fo r
commissioning in 2023.
The occasion also became an opportunity for the
Execu ve Secretary to invite business
organisa ons from the sub-Saharan region
interested in the manufacture of equipment,
components and spares relevant to oil and gas
opera ons to apply for spaces in the industrial
parks at Emeyal II in Bayelsa State, and Odukpani,
Cross River State.
With regards to funding, he expressed
sa sfac on for progress made towards
establishing an Africa Energy Bank to address
financing challenges of Africa’s oil and gas
projects in an era of declining investments in
fossil fuels.
For human capacity development, the NCDMB
boss noted its importance “to the successful
implementa on of local content as every
interven on will be powered by humans – either
through intellect, skill set or both.” Research and
Development is similarly pivotal to successful
implementa on of local content.
Engr Simbi was profusely thankful to the
Petroleum Technology Associa on of Nigeria
(PETAN) for “graciously hos ng and du fully
organizing this auspicious event year a er year.”
In his concluding remarks he expressed the hope
that the Associa on would look into “how to
develop and showcase indigenous technology at
SAIPEC.”
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