The Federal Government has been urged to amend the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act to include a local benefit plan for host communities.
The call was made during the annual public lecture of the Federated Correspondents Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Bayelsa State council, with the theme ‘Ten Years of the NOGIC Act: Achieving 70% Nigerian Content’, held at the NUJ Press Centre, Yenagoa.
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Chairman of the occasion, Amb. Godknows Igali, said host communities were still ignorant of the provisions of the act, adding that the local folks should be sensitised on the act.
The guest lecturer and Director-General of Yenagoa Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (YECCIMA), Mr Warmate Jones, said the NCDMB was yet to achieve the projected 70% Nigerian content, pointing out that only 30% has been achieved so far.
He noted that the NCDMB has stated that it hoped to achieve the strategic roadmap in 2027 as well as 300,000 jobs.
“The NCDMB should review its 10-year strategic roadmap to include projections or retaining a minimum of 30% of industry spent by 2027, and 100,000 of projected 300,000 jobs in the Niger Delta.”
The Bayelsa State Commissioner for Mineral Resources, Dr Ibiere Jones, said the state government has been providing the enabling environment for the multinational oil companies to peacefully coexist within the host communities.
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