Some oil and gas stakeholders have reiterated the importance of exploring available opportunities to ensure Energy Security in the country.
They said this while speaking on “Exploring Energy Opportunities for Local Content in Achieving Energy Security” at the 2023 Nigeria Oil and Gas (NOG) Energy Week on Monday in Abuja.
The conference was themed: “Nigerian Content Role in Achieving Energy Security.”
While commending efforts of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) toward driving local content in the country, they said that a lot more needed to be done.
The Chief Compliance Officer (CCO) and Company Secretary, Oando Plc, Ayotola Jagun, said human capital development was key to increasing local content.
She said: ”we are here at this conference to look at the way forward and I think a lot of work needs to be done.
”There is a lot of pressure on the sector to move away from traditional fossil fuel. We also understand the difficulty that we currently have as a nation. ”
According to Jagun, we need to look toward renewables, we need to look at what we have in terms of wind, solar, ways to energy, gas, all of NCDMB’s work and a lot more.
She said there has to be collaboration with the education sector and it was also important to catch up with emerging technology.
”We need to enhance vocational and technical programs, develop a new curriculum to fill our education gap and upgrade our education system.
”We need to build a workforce that is able to help us transit, we can use our massive resources, train workforce to convert that to develop the nation” she said.
The Director, Capacity Building, NCDMB, Dr Ama Ikuru, restated the need to develop infrastructure.
”Lets fix the roads, rethink our manufacturing strategy, support made in Nigeria products and government should put resources that will support the manufacturing industry.”
The Director Planning , Research and Statistics, NCDMB, Abdulmalik Halilu, said the board recognized the importance of manufacturing as a major economy driver and created platforms to drive the e-market.
On African Continental Free Trade Area( (AfCTA), Halilu said the board was actively involved and would explore opportunities therein relating to manufacturing and services.
Mr Adewale Fayemi, the Country Adviser, Multi Energies, Total Energies, said Energy demand in the country would continue to increase with increased population.
He said Nigeria had a vision to increase its electricity capacity from 16.4GW to 30 GW by 2030 and all relevant stakeholders should work toward ensuring this achievement.
Meanwhile, Mr George Onafowokan, the Managing Director, Coleman Cables Wires lamented the barrier being encountered by real sector players in the industry.
Onafowokan said:” the barriers to entries were so high. The only way you could invest in Nigeria’s oil and gas was using your own funds.
”We need to change the narrative. Investments opportunities are there but cannot be accessed because of the barriers.”
Also speaking, NCDMB’s Executive Secretary, Simbi Wabote, reiterated the need to harness our natural resources to develop to boost the country’s economy.
”We need to be circumspect in this discussion. Deliberate effort should be made to subsidies manufacturing.
”We need to have that deliberate policy. Harness our natural resources like gas to provide for the future,” he said.
That the event was attended by major stakeholders and partners in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
