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Local Content law saves Nigeria US$2bn on LNG Train 7- Wabote
The other consortium had no footprint in-country and it proposed to put extra US$2bn on the back of the project to develop local capacity to execute the project. This is evidence of cost savings associated with the development of Local Content.”
Modupe ASUDO
Executive Secretary NCDMB, Engr, SK Wabote
LAGOS-THE pragmatic implementation of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act has saved Nigeria the sum of US$2bn in the Engineering Procurement and Construction (EPC) contract for Nigeria LNG Train 7 Project.
The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Engr. Simbi Kesiye Wabote dropped the hint on Thursday at the 2020 Annual Capacity Building Workshop organised by the Board for the Judiciary.
The workshop was held via zoom and it drew over 117 participants, including Justices of the Supreme Court, Appeal Court, National Industrial Court, Federal High Court and external solicitors.
Wabote delivered the keynote address at the workshop and stated that contrary to wrong insinuations held in some quarters, ample evidence has proven that sustainable Local Content practice reduces the cost of oil and gas projects in addition to creating job opportunities and economic prosperity.
He gave example with the LNG Train 7 EPC bid, where Saipem Contracting Nigeria and its consortium won the contract with a much lower bid than its competitor, leveraging its commitment to Local Content and investments in Nigeria in the last 50 years.
He said: ”In the LNG Train 7 project contract which was recently concluded and awarded, the difference in price between Saipem that had established itself in Nigeria and the second lowest bidder that was coming from outside the country was US$2bn. That’s a huge sum of money that this country would have lost if not for the drive for the development of Local Content.
“The other consortium had no footprint in-country and it proposed to put extra US$2bn on the back of the project to develop local capacity to execute the project. This is evidence of cost savings associated with the development of Local Content.”
Admitting that developing Local Content and building capacity would always entail some costs at the beginning, the Executive Secretary insisted that such costs ultimately gets reduced overtime and creates much needed jobs and stability in the polity.
He also clarified that the focus of Nigerian Content implementation is not Nigerianization, rather it encourages domiciliation of capacities and promotion of foreign direct investments and home grown investments.
He assured that the NOGICD Act would always protect investments in-country, adding that companies that build capacities are given first right of refusal in industry projects. “The law is a protective instrument for businesses. There are cable manufacturers in Lagos. If there is any opportunity to supply cables to oil and gas companies in Nigeria, those companies have the right of first refusal.”
On the possibility of recording 100 percent Nigerian Content in the sector, the Local Content boss clarified that “the aspiration is neither possible nor desirable, especially for a developing country like Nigeria. You still need foreign direct investments. The industry is a very vast business, with high intensive technology. You still need to leave some space for foreign participation and investment to grow the industry. But you are going to see 70 percent. That is our aspiration, growing from five percent which was the level when Nigerian Content started.”
Speaking further, the Executive Secretary said Nigerian Content implementation led to the development of huge infrastructural and human capacities, which kept the operations of the oil and gas industry running smoothly at the height of COVID-19, notwithstanding the exit of most expatriates. ”Despite the impact of COVID-19 and expatriates leaving the country, Nigeria’s crude oil production never stopped. We still produced to the limit that were stipulated for us by OPEC. This confirms that Nigerian Content helped the oil and gas industry and ensured that we never felt the impact of COVID-19,” he said.
The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammed delivered the opening remarks at the workshop, represented by Hon. Justice Olukayode Ariwoola JSC. He described the implementation of Local Content policies across the globe as an apparatus through which citizens of oil rich countries derive value from crude oil resources.
He also thanked the NCDMB for enhancing the capacity of the judiciary to dispense justice from an informed and contemporary position, particularly as it related to Local Content development and oil and gas operations.
Mrs. Rose Chukwuonwe, a Director of Periscope Consulting and former Coordinator Legal Services NCDMB set the background of the workshop. She indicated that one of the Board’s mandate as enshrined in the NOGICD Act, is to build in-country capacity and capabilities of key stakeholders and the legal sector is one of such important groups.
She noted that the workshop was expected to deepen the Justices’ understanding of the philosophy and objectives of the NOGICD Act, increase their understanding of the provisions of the Act and aid seamless implementation and enforcement of the Act.
The workshop was also expected to bridge the knowledge gap, create needed awareness of the workings of the Act and build the necessary synergy for effective implementation and enforcement of the NOGICD Act, she added.
In his comments, the Director of Legal Services, NCDMB, Barrister Mohammed Babangida Umar, stated that “no matter how good your law is, if you don’t have the support of the judiciary it becomes difficult to succeed.”
He assured that the Board would continue to build the capacity of the judiciary, especially the Justices, ”to enable them have a good understanding of the Local Content law, so that when matters around the Act come before them they will be in a good position to dispense Justice.”
Embattled Nigerian pastor and founder of SPAC Nation, Tobi Adegboyega, has defended his opulent lifestyle, claiming it serves to inspire young people rather than flaunt wealth.
This statement comes amid a UK Immigration Upper Tribunal ruling ordering his deportation over visa violations.
Adegboyega, 44, faced accusations of overstaying his visitor visa, which expired after he arrived in the UK in 2005.
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He had applied to remain in the country on human rights grounds. The tribunal, however, ruled against him, citing his failure to regularize his status.
The pastor’s luxurious lifestyle, including designer clothing and expensive cars, was a focal point of the case.
Addressing the tribunal, Adegboyega stated that his lifestyle is fully funded by his wife, Mary Olubukola Alade, who earns £100,000 annually at AON.
He said, “I live with my partner, Mary Olubukola Alade, who earns £100,000 per year working for AON. I spend my time working for the church, for which I am unpaid. I am entirely supported by Mary. I have a first-class law degree from Nigeria, but I have ‘sacrificed’ my legal career to help those who cannot help themselves.”
Defending his appearance, Adegboyega emphasized the importance of projecting success to his young congregation.
The court noted, “For instance, people have pointed to the fact that he wears designer clothing and drives expensive cars. He was adamant that all of his personal possessions had been paid for by Mary.
“He believes it is important for him to dress the way that he does because he needs to inspire these young people – they need to understand that there are legitimate ways of making money, for instance through entrepreneurship.”
Despite the ruling, Adegboyega dismissed the deportation concerns as insignificant.
“I’m right here at home, no cause for alarm. Naturally, I will dismiss things that have to do with retrogression; every Nigerian should be proud of me. Living in the UK, a city that is well known for pulling people down, I have survived all sorts, so the matter that they are propagating is the smallest matter,” he said.
He further expressed confidence in his resilience. “No panic, I love London city, it is my city, and nobody can do anything. Of all the people of colour you know here – pastors and leaders – I have survived everything. I’m here, I am at home, nobody should panic for me.
“I succeeded well in this country despite all challenges, and I’m in the league of people you look up to. I have survived that well; nothing has changed, nothing will change,” he added.
Amid the growing controversy surrounding the detention of human rights lawyer Dele Farotimi, renowned Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Aare Afe Babalola has publicly addressed the defamation allegations leveled against Farotimi.
The legal action stems from claims made in Farotimi’s book, Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System, which Babalola asserts contains false and defamatory statements about him and his law firm, Afe Babalola & Co.
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In a petition dated November 19 and submitted to the Ekiti State Commissioner of Police, Adeniran Akinwale, Babalola accused Farotimi of making “criminally defamatory” statements about him, his law firm, and two senior lawyers at his firm, Olu Daramola SAN and Ola Faro.
The defamatory remarks are tied to the Supreme Court case Major Muritala Gbadamosi Eletu & Ors v. H.R.H. Oba Tijani Akinloye & Ors.
Babalola revealed that the allegations came to light when one of his lawyers purchased Farotimi’s book while traveling through Murtala Muhammed Airport.
After reading the book, the lawyer immediately brought its contents to Babalola’s attention.
Other members of his firm reportedly did the same, prompting the senior lawyer to take legal action.
In his petition, Babalola pointed to specific passages in Farotimi’s book that accused him of corruption and unethical conduct. The petition reads:
“I write to report the criminal defamation of myself, my law firm Afe Babalola & Co., and my lawyers, Olu Daramola SAN and Ola Faro, by one Dele Farotimi in his book titled ‘Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System’, published by Dele Farotimi Publishers, in respect of Suit No. SC/146/2005: Major Muritala Gbadamosi Eletu & Ors v. H.R.H. Oba Tijani Akinloye & Ors.
“Sometime on 2/11/2024, one of our lawyers, while traveling through Murtala Muhammed Airport, bought a book by Dele Farotimi titled ‘Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System’. He read the book and immediately brought it to my attention. Many of my lawyers also bought the book and read it.”
“The defamatory statements are as follows:
- That Aare Afe Babalola corrupted the Supreme Court to procure a fraudulent judgment in the service of his client.
- That Aare Afe Babalola, Olu Daramola, Olu Faro, and the law offices of Afe Babalola & Co. (Emmanuel Chambers) compromised the Supreme Court and the remaining semblance of integrity it might have had, when they went back to the Supreme Court and got the Court to swim in the sewer of corruption and shameful self-abnegation.”
Babalola strongly denies the allegations, claiming that they are false and damaging to both his personal reputation and the integrity of the Nigerian judiciary.
Nigerian author and activist Dele Farotimi’s book, Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System, has surged to bestseller status on Amazon amid a legal battle with prominent lawyer and businessman, Afe Babalola.
The controversy surrounding the book has captivated public attention, driving both online and offline demand.
The book, which critiques systemic corruption in Nigeria’s judiciary and highlights alleged misconduct by key legal figures, saw modest sales following its release in July 2024.
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However, Farotimi’s arrest on Tuesday, following a petition filed by the 93-year-old Babalola, triggered a wave of public curiosity.
By Thursday evening, it had climbed to the top of Amazon’s bestseller rankings, according to checks by Vanguard. Bookstores across Nigeria also reported a significant uptick in demand.
Biztellers reports that Farotimi was detained in Lagos by armed police officers and transported to Ado Ekiti, about 300 kilometers northeast of the city, where Babalola is based.
The senior lawyer alleged that the book accused him of compromising Nigeria’s judiciary—a claim that has sparked heated debates about freedom of speech and accountability in the legal profession.
On Wednesday, Farotimi was arraigned in an Ekiti court, where the judge ordered his remand pending a bail hearing scheduled for December 10.
Farotimi’s legal team has vowed to contest the charges, framing the case as an attack on intellectual freedom.
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