Oil
Expatriate oil workers in Nigeria to undergo biometric registration – NCDMB
LAGOS – Expatriates working in the Nigerian Oil and Gas industry will henceforth undertake biometric registration as part of conditions they must fulfill before their organizations can secure expatriate quota approvals from the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board.
The exercise will capture details of all foreigners working for operating and service companies in Nigeria on the electronic platform-Nigerian Content Joint Qualification System, (NOJICJQS) being operated by the Board.
The Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Ernest Nwapa who disclosed this at the Addax Executive Business Seminar on Nigerian Content, explained that the exercise will kick-off in the first quarter of 2013.
According to him, the registration will help the Board evaluate the skills of the expatriates and confirm that such skills are not available locally in the industry.
It will also assist the Board to electronically track the number of expatriates in the industry, their length of stay, compliance with provided succession plans and expected date of exit.
At the completion of the biometric registration, each expatriate will get a unique card, which he or she will produce whenever the monitoring team from the Board come around for periodic verification.
Section 33 of the NOGICD Act mandates operators to apply and receive the approval of the Board before making any application for expatriate quota to the Ministry of Internal Affairs or any other agency of the Federal Government.
Among other conditions, the Board requires companies seeking to get expatriate quota approvals for their operations in the oil and gas industry to first advertise the positions to Nigerians through national and international media outfits.
Other new initiatives of the Board endorsed by the Governing Council of the Board under the Chairmanship of Mrs. Deziani Alison-Madueke, include the planned establishment of industrial parks in each oil producing state in partnership with the state governments.
This will stimulate the participation of the communities in the local supply chain and provide a direct platform for collaboration with original equipment manufacturers who are now required to manufacture a minimum proportion of components in Nigeria.
He explained that the Board will collaborate with major operators, service companies and the relevant state Governments to build industrial parks which will support operations of the industry and help achieve service efficiency through shared services.
Other benefits of the industrial park concept include the reduction of start-up investment cost for new business, stakeholders collaboration and industry commitment to utilize manufactured products from industrial parks.
The parks will host manufacturing activities driven by the Oil and Gas industry demand but will certainly service other sectors of the economy as they grow organically into integrated industrial zones.
The start-up product slate will include steel pipes & allied fittings, switch gears , panels, skids, pipe racks and brackets, Environmental protection equipment, chemicals, industrial gases, computers, telecom and other ICT equipment components, Furniture, LPG cylinders, Bolts & Nuts, Drilling fluids.
The Executive Secretary declared that the strategy has been successfully deployed to stimulate small and medium scale enterprises focused on the Oil and Gas technology into sustainable engines for technological growth and employment at the grass root level.
He noted that the major operators will benefit from increased entrepreneurial activities in their host communities and announced that the Board has reached out to the state Governments to participate in an SME fair to enable it identify companies with potentials to incubate and grow.
In this way, over 100,000 productive jobs will be created across the communities for skills ranging from professional to artisanal and deemphasize the social employment prevalent in the communities.
“The fair will identify SMEs with capacity which will be supported and accommodated in the new industrial parks to manufacture goods used in industry with the active involvement of the traditional OEMs” he added.
The Board will activate the provisions of the Act to provide specific incentives for OEMs that participate in the initiative such as locking in orders for equipment or components manufactured/Assembled in these parks for extended periods.
He also noted that Nigerian companies had committed to invest over $600m in the manufacture and assembly of various equipments and components.
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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