NEWS
NCDMB Holds Retreat With Senate Committee On Local Content
The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and the Senate Committee on Local Content on Sunday began a 3-day retreat at Abuja.
Biztellers reports that the retreat is aimed at forging closer collaboration between the two entities, to achieve improved implementation of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act.
The theme of the retreat is creating synergy for sustainable local content development and was attended by members of the committee and some senior management of the NCDMB.
Speaking at the opening ceremony on Monday, the Executive Secretary NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe underscored the importance of collaboration with relevant stakeholders in managing and growing Nigerian Content in the oil and gas industry.
READ ALSO: Minister Hails NCDMB, Nedogas Strategic Partnership
He stated that the retreat is a key platform for actualising the needed collaboration, describing the National Assembly as one of the most important stakeholders to collaborate with.
He reiterated that the Board was focused on fulfilling the mandate set out by the NOGICD Act, which is basically to build the capacity of Nigerian companies and people to participate in the oil and gas industry and to monitor the compliance of oil and gas companies. He stressed that the mandate has not changed with the change of leadership in the Board.
Speaking further, Engr Ogbe maintained that his major objective in the current role is how to sustain the growth of Nigerian Content in the oil and gas industry.
On the performance of the Board, the Executive Secretary indicated that the NCDMB operates as a business enabler and supports the value chain efficiency and project delivery.
He added that “consistent with the recent Presidential Directives on Local Content and in line with our Service Level Agreement (SLA) with the oil and gas industry, we are simplifying our processes and accelerating our approval timeline to enable business delivery.”
He also announced that the Board was coming up with a programme where it would upgrade the quality of some primary and secondary schools in the hinterlands, as a strategy to develop competent manpower for the oil and gas industry in years to come.
In her remarks, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Local Content, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan lauded the successes that have been recorded with the implementation of the NOGICD Act, especially in the development of critical assets and the emergence of Nigerians with the requisite skills to deliver complex projects and lead operations of the oil and gas industry.
She, however, identified huge gaps for improvements, noting that the retreat provided the opportunity to create the needed interface with key stakeholders.
She emphasized that close collaborations lead to higher productivity and impact, which would benefit members of the public.
She also canvassed that trainees of the Board’s on-the-job training and direct training programmes should be engaged by the oil and gas industry, otherwise, the resources committed to their training would have been wasted.
The retreat featured presentations from key directorates of the Board, including the Director, Monitoring and Evaluation, Abdulmalik Halilu, who discussed how monitoring activities are carried out by the Board, to ensure that operating and service companies comply with the provisions of the NOGICD Act.
He explained that the Nigerian Content Compliance Certificate (NCCC) which is the outcome of the Board’s Projects Certification and Authorization process is converted into the monitoring template and used to monitor the operations of oil and gas firms.
Also speaking, the Director, Projects Certification and Authorization Division (PCAD), Engr. Abayomi Bamidele suggested that players of the Nigerian oil and gas industry must ensure that at least one final investment decision (FID) is taken every year, to keep oil and gas service facilities, investments and employees engaged.
Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo has inaugurated three new governing councils for Institutions and Agencies in the state.
The establishments with newly governing councils are Persons with Disabilities, Edo University, Iyamho and Edo State House of Assembly (EDHA) Service Commission.
After inaugurating the three groups in the new Festival Hall in Government House, Benin City, Okpebholo charged the new appointees to discharge their duties effectively and efficiently.
The Governor said the task for the newly-inaugurated bodies is enormous and charged them to discharge their duties and responsibilities according to the law governing the State.
ALSO READ: State Of Emergency Resonates In Edo State
“We are all here because of this event today as my administration has carefully selected those we are inaugurating today to collaborate with us to pilot the affairs of the State and contribute to its development.
“We have carefully selected great minds to run the affairs of Edo State House of Assembly Service Commission believing they will bring the needed change required to develop Edo State,” he said.
To the members of the Governing Council Edo State Commission for Persons with Disabilities, led by the chairman, Theophilus Egbodion, the Governor said that despite their challenges, his administration would not discriminate against anybody.
“There is no discrimination in this administration. We are all one working to achieve our common goal, which is to develop Edo State. The situation you find yourselves is not made by you but caused by circumstances and with you in our Government, we will relate with others very well. You are not disabled in mind as I promise to work with you as all your requests will be looked into.”
For the governing council of Edo State University Iyamho, led by Prof. Olusegun Akinyinka, the Governor, said the members chosen by his administration were a well-calculated move to bring credible people with proven characters to govern and move the school forward.
“Your choice is deliberate as we believe that with your experience, the school will do very well. As we inaugurate you today, the university will experience a new dawn such that the school will assume an enviable height,” he stated.
Okpebholo said the task ahead of the newly-inaugurated members is enormous and “I charge you to discharge your duties and responsibilities according to the law governing the State. I want to thank and welcome you to the fold.”
Responding, the chairmen, Edo State House of Assembly Service Commission, Hon. Ezehi Igbas; chairman Governing Council Edo State commission for persons with disabilities, Egbodion; and Chairman Governing Council of Edo University, Iyamho, Prof. Olusegun Akinyinka thanked the Governor for finding them and their team worthy of the appointments and promised to support and collaborate with the administration to succeed.
The Heads of Local Government Administration (HLGAs) in Rivers State have been thrown into a state of anxiety following a directive from the Sole Administrator of the state, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd), ordering them to submit reports detailing the activities of their councils over the past two years.
The directive, issued through a letter from Dame Dr. Itong Awani, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Local Government Affairs, mandates that the reports be submitted by Wednesday, March 26, 2025.
The sudden call for accountability has unsettled many LGA heads, particularly given the political backdrop in Rivers State.
Following the Supreme Court ruling that invalidated the 2024 local government elections, suspended Governor Siminialayi Fubara had directed the HLGAs to take over local government administration.
READ MORE:Lawyer Petitions Court To Declare Rivers Sole Administrator’s Appointment Null
Now, the administrator’s demand for a comprehensive report has sparked speculation about potential changes in the councils’ leadership.
The letter, which only became public on Wednesday, outlined specific areas the reports must cover. According to the directive, HLGAs must provide: Introduction/Preamble, Functions of the Council, Number of Staff on Nominal Roll (categorized by cadre), Sources of Revenue Generation, Activities, Ongoing, and Completed Projects in the Past Two Years, Achievements of the Council, Challenges and Recommendations.
The letter emphasized the urgency of compliance, stating: “His Excellency, the Sole Administrator of Rivers State has directed that all Heads of Local Government Administration should submit the report of their councils to the office of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Local Government Affairs.
“I am also to inform you that all submissions using the format listed below should reach the office of the undersigned on or before Wednesday, 26th March, 2025, for onward transmission to the office of the Sole Administrator, Government House, Port Harcourt for further necessary action.”
Additionally, the directive instructs LGA heads to highlight the challenges faced by their councils and provide recommendations on how to address them.
A fire outbreak on Tuesday night severely damaged a two-storey commercial building on Iweka Road, near Ochanja Main Market in Onitsha South Local Government Area of Anambra State.
Confirming the incident on Wednesday, the Anambra State Fire Service said it received a distress call at around 9:35 p.m. and immediately dispatched firefighters to the location.
Fire Chief Chukwudi Chiketa told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the cause of the fire was yet to be determined.
READ ALSO: Billions Lost As Fire Razes Kano Market, Recycling Hub
“We don’t know the exact cause of the fire, but we were called to respond, and we did,” he said.
He further disclosed that four shops, mainly dealing in furniture materials such as leather and foam, were affected.
“These shops contained furniture materials such as leather, foam, and other items,” he added.
The firefighting team worked tirelessly through the night, eventually withdrawing from the scene around 3:05 a.m.
In the aftermath, residents and traders gathered at the site, attempting to salvage whatever remained of their goods.
Okpebholo Inaugurates Three Governing Councils
Kunle Remi, Wife Welcome First Child After Challenging Journey
Rivers Sole Administrator Orders LGAs To Submit Two-Year Reports
Fire Ravages Two-Storey Commercial Building In Anambra
State Of Emergency Resonates In Edo State
