NCDMB Charges Anambra Journalists on Oil, Gas Opportunities, Accountability

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) recently held a training program for journalists from Anambra State, aiming to enhance their knowledge of the local content policy in Nigeria's oil and gas industry. The program, launched by NCDMB in collaboration with Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited, is part of the Board's efforts to promote local content initiatives and ensure compliance with relevant laws.

Dr. Obinna Ezeobi, the Board's General Manager of Corporate Communications, emphasized the vital role journalists play in promoting opportunities for Nigerian businesses and professionals while monitoring industry operations for compliance with local content obligations. Ezeobi stressed that collaboration between industry operators, government agencies, businesses, host communities, professionals, academic institutions, and the media was crucial for the success of the policy.

The Board's 10-Year Strategic Roadmap, launched in 2017, emphasized the importance of stakeholder engagement in achieving the goals of the local content policy. The workshop served as the first edition of the NCDMB's annual media engagement program in the South-East since its inception in the Niger Delta in 2019. Silas Omomehin Ajimijaye, the Board's Director of Planning, Research, and Statistics, highlighted the Board's mandate to build Nigerian capacity while ensuring operators adhere to the NOGICD Act.

Ajimijaye encouraged entrepreneurs, job seekers, and industry participants to utilize the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Joint Qualification System portal to access relevant opportunities and qualification procedures. The NCDMB officials stressed the importance of journalists understanding the industry initiatives and regulatory structure to provide reliable information to the public and assess the fulfillment of the local content policy's goals.

Anambra State, rich in natural gas reserves, was chosen as a strategic venue for the engagement due to its status as an oil-producing state and the presence of leading indigenous oil and gas firms. The state Commissioner for Information and Value Reformation, Dr. Law Mefor, highlighted the need for Anambra to maximize the benefits of its gas resources and pledged to support the workshop's message to the governor.