SENATE COMMENDS LOCAL CONTENT BOARD ON HEADQUARTER BUILDING

The Senate Committee on Local Content has commended the Nigeria Content Development Monitoring Board I(NCDMB)for the ongoing 17 Storey Headquarters Building at Yenegoa, Bayelsa State.
Giving the commendation during the Committee oversight visit to the temporary office of NCDMB in Yenegoa, Senator Solomon Adeola, (APC,Lagos West), the chairman of the Senate Committee stated that it is a futuristic edifice with a view of generating income for the monitoring agency and government when completed.

The NCDMB headquarters building with the main structures already completed is a 17 -Storey with a 4-level multi Storey car park and a 1000 Seater Conference Centre among other spaces for offices for both public and private sector.

“We see this project as forward looking in term of the future expansion envisage for Local Content activities in our moves towards diversification of Local Content beyond the oil and gas sectors for the benefit of Nigeria and Nigerians” the senator stated.

Senator Adeola said that the National Assembly is in the process of broadening the NOGICD ACT of 2010 that mandates a certain preference for Nigerians and Nigerian companies in activities of oil and gas sectors to other sectors of the economy like ICT, Construction, Manufacturing And Power adding that it is envisaged that review and amendment will be concluded before the end of the 8th National Assembly.

Senator Adeola urged the monitoring board to continue to increase its milestones in the implementation of the NOGICD Act which has increased in recent years for more participation and benefits for Nigeria and Nigerians instead of the hitherto doimination by foreign oil and gas companies.

Earlier on the Executive Secretary of the Board, Engineer Simbi Wabote stated that the Conference Centre and the car park will be completed this year and the rest thereafter adding that already IOCs and Oil and Services Companies have indicated interest in taking office spaces.
“The board intends to use 8 floors with one floor for Leadership Training and another floor for Research and Development. We already have Operating companies making requests for offices spaces as the place will be energy efficient” the Executive secretary stated.

The Committee with Senators Dino Melaye, Andrew Uchendu, Abubakar Gumel, Tayo Alasoadura And S.Yahaya later visited the headquarters building and other facilities of the agency.