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NOGICD Act enforcement: NCDMB teams up with security agencies
Precious ADELOLA
IN a bid to drive compliance and enforcement of the provisions of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act, the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has held a workshop for law enforcement agencies, with the theme “understanding the objectives and philosophy of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act.
The two-day workshop was held this week in Abuja, and it was attended by personnel from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), Nigeria Police, Nigerian Customs Service and other relevant agencies.
In his welcome address, the Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Engr. Simbi Kesiye Wabote explained that the Board organised the workshop to create synergy and collaboration with regulatory and enforcement agencies in the discharge of its mandate.
He indicated that the Board held these types of workshops regularly with a view to strengthen collaboration with key stakeholders, particularly those that are not familiar with the Board’s roles in the oil and gas industry.
The former Inspector General of Police, Dr Solomon Arase made a presentation at the workshop and identified gaps in the provisions of the NOGICD Act that would hamper the successful prosecution and conviction of companies deemed to have breached the provisions of the Act.
He proposed some amendment to the Act, notably, explicit definition of offences, expansion of the parties to offences and stiffer punishments for noncompliance.
The former IGP also advised the Board to build a small team of experts, with competences in investigation and identification of ingredients critical for proving cases of noncompliance. He suggested that the team should include officers of the Nigeria Police, ICPC, EFCC and other relevant agencies, who would be trained on Nigerian Content.
The Director, Legal Services, Barrister Umar Mohammed Babangida presented the draft Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Compliance and Enforcement Regulation 2020 and added that the document was designed to plug some of the gaps that were identified in the NOGICD Act.
He also explained that non-compliance and breach of Nigerian Content guidelines have been categorized into Minor Infraction and Serious Infractions.
Minor offences refer to first time defaults, deficits in meeting deadlines for periodic reports and similar defaults and applicable sanctions would include Letter of Warning, Invitation of Management Team of the Operator/ stakeholder for corrective dialogue with the Board.
On the other hand, serious infraction includes repeated or persistent defaults; and/or deliberate refusal to comply with directives issued by the Board.
Punishment for such offences will include “Name and shame of defaulting Operator/stakeholder with publicity within national and international Oil and Gas communities; Notification to other MDAs about the non-compliance of the Operator/stakeholder, including request for the withdrawal of tax privileges, and/or preventing the Operator/stakeholder from getting “cost recovery”, where applicable; Withdrawal of Certificate of Authorization issued for the project under Section 8 of the Act; Withdrawal of any approval given by the Board as required under the provisions of Sections 17, 19 and 20 of the Act on Nigerian Content Compliance Certificate and Prosecution of the offenders in accordance with the provisions of part I of the draft regulation ( as a last resort.”
Explaining further, the Director said the Board shall first give notice in writing to any operator or other stakeholder, specifying the identified default(s) and corrective step, action and/or remediation required to address an identified non-compliance.
He added that failure to comply shall attract the imposition of appropriate sanctions and/or penalties as may be deemed applicable in the circumstances.
Also speaking, the Director, Monitoring and Evaluation, NCDMB, Mr. Akintunde Adelana explained that the pioneer promoters of the NOGICD Act focused on building consensus and collaboration with stakeholders, especially the international oil companies who were the drivers of the business. “We needed to focus on value addition and domiciliation. The issue of securing conviction against noncompliance was not the priority at that time.”
He listed some challenges faced by the Board in implementing enforcing the NOGICD Act to include inadequate strategic collaboration among stakeholders in the industry; overlapping of tasks by various government agencies, non-submission/late submission of statutory reports and inadequate coverage of the projects and activities in the Nigerian oil and gas industry as a result of manpower shortage.
Other challenges include execution of projects, contracts/services without approval from the Board and non-execution of NCDMB HCDI Training on the back of projects; non-deduction and remittance of NCDF one percent; utilization of non-registered vendors in the NOGICJQ, deployment of expatriates without approval from NCDMB; use of Manpower License designated for Nigerian personnel only to deploy Expatriates; refusal to Nigerianise expatriate positions after statutory four years as captured in the Act and non-submission of Research and Development Plan by Service Companies.
In his presentation, the Director, Planning Research & Statistics, Mr. Daziba Patrick Obah proposed that the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) should enforce the guidelines of NCDMB on expatriate utilization by oil & gas companies on land and offshore locations. “Enforcement and checks can be conducted at various entry points and access points to offshore locations by demanding for biometrics identity card before approving flight request by expatriates to offshore oil and gas operations,” he said.
He also suggested that the Military should collaborate with the Board in deepening R&D and domesticate hardware and software technology, maintenance techniques for military equipment. Enforcement agencies should also join the essential services sectoral working group and shipping and logistics sectorial working group to share insights and open channels of communication, he added.
Quincy Jones, the legendary music producer, composer, and cultural icon whose career spanned over seven decades, has passed away at the age of 91.
Jones died peacefully on Sunday night at his Bel Air home, surrounded by family, according to his publicist, Arnold Robinson.
“Tonight, with full but broken hearts, we must share the news of our father and brother Quincy Jones’ passing,” his family said in a statement. “And although this is an incredible loss for our family, we celebrate the great life that he lived and know there will never be another like him.”
Renowned for his unmatched versatility, Jones collaborated with some of the greatest musical talents of the 20th and 21st centuries, including Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra, Aretha Franklin, and Will Smith. He played an integral role in producing Jackson’s groundbreaking albums Off the Wall, Thriller, and Bad, which catapulted the pop star to global superstardom and earned Jones worldwide acclaim.
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Born in Chicago in 1933, Jones’ journey into music began early. His childhood introduction came from a neighbor’s piano playing and his mother’s singing. After moving to Washington state following his parents’ divorce, he honed his skills in his high school band and began playing with a young Ray Charles in Seattle’s vibrant club scene.
Jones’ career took off in New York, where he played trumpet in Elvis Presley’s early TV performances and worked with bebop legends like Charlie Parker and Miles Davis. By 1958, he was working with Frank Sinatra, arranging for the singer’s band at the request of Princess Grace Kelly. Their partnership flourished, spanning several projects including Sinatra’s final album LA Is My Lady in 1984.
Throughout the 1960s and 70s, Jones’ talents extended into film and television scores, composing music for films such as The Italian Job, In the Heat of the Night, and the acclaimed The Color Purple, for which he earned three Oscar nominations. He also scored hit TV shows including The Bill Cosby Show and Roots.
In 1985, Jones produced and co-conducted the charity anthem “We Are the World” alongside Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, raising millions for Ethiopian famine relief. Despite personal and professional challenges—including surviving a near-fatal brain aneurysm in 1974—Jones’s career continued to thrive.
Jones’ influence wasn’t limited to music. In 1990, he founded Quincy Jones Entertainment, the company behind the popular sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which launched the career of Will Smith. His media ventures also included the creation of Qwest TV, an on-demand music streaming service, and the magazine Vibe, which celebrated Black music and culture.
Over his career, Jones earned 80 Grammy nominations, winning 28—making him one of the most decorated artists in the award’s history. Tributes poured in following news of his death. Actor Michael Caine, who shared Jones’ birthdate, called him “a wonderful and unique human being.” Music artists such as LL Cool J expressed gratitude, saying, “You were a father and example at a time when I truly needed one. Music would not be music without you.”
Jones is survived by his seven children, leaving behind an indelible legacy that will resonate through generations to come. His life’s work transformed music, television, and culture, proving that there truly was no limit to what Quincy Jones could accomplish.
Singer and rapper Jesse Jagz has called on Nigerians to rethink their approach to religion.
Jagz suggested that African traditional religious gods have become ineffective, attributing this to the excessive alcohol given to them during rituals, which, according to him, has made them obese, diabetic, and unable to aid their worshipers.
Speaking on the ‘Big Talk’ podcast, the rapper also criticized followers of foreign religions for relying solely on prayer and expecting miracles without putting in the necessary effort. He stressed that prayers alone cannot provide essential social services or infrastructure.
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“When you go to a shrine and you see the priest pouring gin on the gods, Google how much a bottle of gin was in slavery. 40 slaves.
“Our gods are drunk on alcohol and meat. They are obese and diabetic.
“They can’t help us do anything. Prayers do not build roads or buy books for children. We have forgotten humanity,” he said.
Renowned Nigerian singer, David Adeleke, known by his stage name Davido, has stated that he receives special treatment globally due to his celebrity status.
The Afrobeats sensation mentioned that he is frequently invited to presidential dinners in nearly every country he visits, with the exception of the United States and the United Kingdom.
In a recent interview with Kiss Fresh London, Davido confidently shared that his fanbase includes influential figures such as the World Bank president, presidents of powerful nations, and other notable personalities.
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“Every country we go to, the President invites us for dinner except London [United Kingdom] and the United States of America.
“It’s beautiful to see. I mean, leaving my country, Nigeria, and people welcoming me like the president in other countries, shows how well Nigeria is doing around the world in terms of music and cultural impacts,” he said.
Davido has expressed that he feels most respected in Africa, which is why he cherishes his African tours more than those in Europe and America, even though the latter bring him greater financial rewards.
He shared that his Jamaican collaborator, YG Marley, was astonished by the immense admiration from fans when he visited Nigeria for the video shoot of their joint hit, ‘Awuke.’
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