Oil
NCDMB, Amnesty Office collaborates on employment of ex-agitators in Nigeria’s Oil Industry
YENAGOA – The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and the Presidential Amnesty Programme are to collaborate towards integrating ex-agitators from the Niger Delta into the Oil and Gas Industry.
This was mooted when the Executive Secretary, NCDMB, Engr. Ernest Nwapa hosted the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Chairman of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Mr. Kingsley Kuku at the Board’s office in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State last week.
Nwapa said the plan was to upload the list of ex-agitators who had completed training in oil and gas service areas into the Nigerian Oil and Gas Joint Qualification System (NOGIC JQS)-the data base of choice for talent sourcing in the oil and gas industry.
He explained that the Minister of Petroleum Resources and Chairman of the Board’s Governing Council, Mrs. Diezani Alison Madueke had directed the Board to pursue capacity development and employment initiatives that will support President Goodluck Jonathan’s transformation agenda in the Oil and Gas industry.
According to him, major operating companies, including the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation cannot employ more than 50,000 Nigerians as they had outsourced most of their operations, adding however, that the industry could create thousands of jobs through the execution of its projects in-country and manufacturing of components used by the industry.
He regretted that Nigerians had for nearly five decades focused on the exploitation of crude oil and the revenue receipts while ignoring the value chain, thereby failing for too long to establish facilities, own hi-tech assets and manufacture components for the industry that can create jobs and retain spend in the country.
Nwapa clarified that the implementation of the Act had gradually reversed the trend and Nigerians have begun to invest heavily in facilities, own hi-tech assets and manufacture components for the industry.
Some of the capacities already developed for the Oil and Gas Industry, he said, are being used utilized in other sectors of the economy like power, telecommunication, construction and information technology.
Speaking further, Nwapa described various initiatives of the Board which had helped create and retain 38,000 jobs in the industry from year 2010 to date, adding that the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industrial Park Scheme (NOGIPS) will unlock employment opportunities from the industry as it will elevate local Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) that produce industry standard high tech equipment for the industry under a shared service and resource optimisation model.
He explained that the Board was also set to start an artisan training programme that will produce qualified artisans who will eventually build the Board’s Headquarters Building in Yenagoa.
In his remarks, the Special Adviser underscored the agency’s relationship with the Board, explaining that both agencies were developing manpower for Nigerians.
He said, “we are doing a lot of vocational training programme that falls under the ambit of NCDMB so we needed to get advice from the Board on what is available and how we can tap into the opportunities. We want the Board to help us in post training placements.
“We have seen the opportunities and we must prepare for the jobs that will come through the Nigerian Content implementation.”
Kuku clarified that the Amnesty Office cannot provide jobs for all the trained ex-agitators, adding that they will have to compete with other Nigerians.
“We have hundreds of our trainees across the best universities in the world. The best we can give them is free education and when they come back, they will compete with others.
“With the quality education and training they have got, they will have advantage. But if the jobs are available, we will support them.”
He added that the programme had produced 100 pilots in a programme with Luftansa while those trained in ship building were working to set up a boat yard in 2014.
The Special Adviser confirmed that the Amnesty Programme has a terminal date, adding that the agency will at its conclusion hand over outstanding trainees to other agencies of government.
He also challenged state government across the country, particularly the oil bearing states to start youth engagement and empowerment schemes to complement the Federal Amnesty Programme.
In a strategic move to revitalize Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, the Federal Government has unveiled two key fiscal incentives aimed at attracting investment and enhancing energy security.
The announcement was made by Mr. Wale Edun, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy on Wednesday.
The first initiative, the Value Added Tax (VAT) Modification Order 2024, introduces critical exemptions for essential energy products and infrastructure, including Diesel, Feed Gas, Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), Electric Vehicles, Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) infrastructure, and Clean Cooking Equipment.
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These exemptions are designed to reduce living costs for Nigerians, promote energy security, and accelerate the transition to cleaner energy alternatives.
The second initiative, the Notice of Tax Incentives for Deep Offshore Oil & Gas Production, offers new tax relief options for deep offshore exploration projects.
This measure aims to position Nigeria’s deep offshore basin as a premier destination for international oil and gas investments, boosting the country’s appeal to foreign investors.
These reforms are part of a broader set of policy initiatives, known as Policy Directives 40-42, endorsed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The directives reflect the administration’s commitment to fostering sustainable development in the energy sector and enhancing Nigeria’s competitive edge in the global oil and gas market.
By Yemie Adeoye
NIGERIA’s President Bola Tinubu has announced that the protracted ExxonMobil-Seplat upstream oil divestment will be formally approved by the Minister of petroleum within a matter of days, just as he announced his government’s intention to expand the Compress natural Gas, CNG buses initiative.
The President who stated this during his Independence day nationwide broadcast stated that the move is in line with his administration’s commitment to free enterprise, free entry and free exit in investments which is the hallmark of his administration investment policy.
“Fellow compatriots, our administration is committed to free enterprise, free entry, and free exit in investments while maintaining the sanctity and efficacy of our regulatory processes. This principle guides the divestment transactions in our upstream petroleum sector, where we are committed to changing the fortune positively. As such, the ExxonMobil Seplat divestment will receive ministerial approval in a matter of days, having been concluded by the regulator, NUPRC, in line with the Petroleum Industry Act, PIA. This was done in the same manner as other qualified divestments approved in the sector.”
The President also seized the opportunity to plead with Nigerians to be patient with his administration’s reform policies. “As your President, I assure you that we are committed to finding sustainable solutions to alleviate the suffering of our citizens. Once again, I plead for your patience as the reforms we are implementing show positive signs, and we are beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel”.
“Our energy transition programme is on course. We are expanding the adoption of the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas for mass transit with private sector players. The Federal Government is ready to assist the thirty-six States and FCT in acquiring CNG buses for cheaper public transportation.
Fellow Nigerians, while we are working to stabilise the economy and secure the country, we also seek to foster national unity and build social harmony and cohesion. Our economy can only thrive when there is peace”. he enthused.
As part of the administration’s push to improve Ease of Doing Business (EoDB), Nigeria’s Vice President Kashim Shettima has expressed support for ExxonMobil’s plan to invest $10 billion in the country’s deep-water oil sector.
Speaking on Wednesday, September 25, 2024, during a meeting with ExxonMobil executives at the 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, Shettima called the investment “a clear testament to the administration’s economic reforms and investor-friendly policies.”
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This announcement follows news that international maritime company DP World intends to develop a multibillion-dollar port project in Nigeria.
Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, shared the development in a statement on Wednesday. He quoted Shettima as saying: “ExxonMobil’s potential investment aligns with the vision of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration for a more investment-friendly Nigeria.
We are committed to fostering an environment that supports such transformative projects.”Shettima also discussed the administration’s broader efforts to improve the ease of doing business, highlighting the “Renewed Hope Agenda,” which aims to simplify bureaucratic processes, enhance transparency, and offer fiscal incentives to attract global investors.
“Our administration has taken bold steps to unify the exchange rate, remove fuel subsidies, and implement tax reforms. These measures, though challenging in the short term, are intended to create a stable and predictable business environment in the long term,” he added.
On the oil and gas sector, Shettima mentioned that the government is revising the fiscal framework for deep-water operations to attract investment while ensuring fair returns for the Nigerian people.
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