Opportunity Fair:  NCDMB to boost local content investments, capacity building

By Ibiyemi Mathew

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has announced plans to host the 4th edition of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Opportunity fair (NOGOF).

The Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Engr. Simbi Kesiye Wabote revealed that the fair which is in its 4th edition  provides a platform to drive local content investment and build in country capacity in the Nigerian oil and gas industry.

Commenting on what necessitated the organisation of the fair, Engr. Wabote said, “When we were looking for activities to enhance the participation of Nigerians in oil and gas industry, one of the major responses we got is Nigerians not knowing the opportunities available. So we thought of how we can put this opportunities in the front burner and prepare people for the opportunities in the oil and gas industry.

“Our goal is to use NOGOF to drive growth and development of local content and strategies on capacity building. NOGOF creates a platform to showcase the opportunities in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry and foster partnerships.

“We recognise that the oil and gas industry has the opportunity to catalyse industrialisation and drive development across Nigeria and Africa.”

Addressing the success story of the fair so far, he noted that, “the greatest success when you examine the NLNG Train 1-6, the NLNG technology was alien to Nigeria but with the advent of NOGOF, today 50 per cent of what is done in train 7 is being executed by Nigerians.

“This is a significant leap and this only happened because we created the platform.”

The 2023 edition of NOGOF is scheduled to hold between the 18th of May and 19th of May in Bayelsa.