By YANGE IKYAA
The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and the authorities of the Senegalese Petroleum Industry on Tuesday agreed to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will guide Nigeria’s support activities for the development of local content in the Senegalese petroleum industry.
The agreement was reached during a meeting in Lagos between the Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Engr. Simbi Kesiye Wabote, and key officials of the Senegalese petroleum industry.
The Senegalese team was led by Mor Ndiaye Mbaye, the Technical Secretary of the National Committee for Local Content in Senegal, who stated that their nation is a new entrant to the oil industry and is keen to build local capacities and domesticate key operations in the sector in-country. Mbaye added that they decided to learn best practices in local content from Nigeria in order to also make its implementation in their jurisdiction a reality.
This latest agreement between the two West African nations is part of Nigeria’s strategic support to the development of local content across the African continent, which has already been extended to Ghana, Niger Republic, Uganda, Kenya, Gabon and Congo Brazzaville.
Speaking after the meeting, Wabote stated that the MoU will provide the pathway for details of the collaboration, while also stressing the need for cooperation amongst African countries for the sustainable development of the oil and gas industry in the continent.
He also explained that Nigeria has acquired a lot of experience in Local Content development and is well-positioned to support other African nations that had discovered hydrocarbon resources recently.
In his remarks, the pioneer Executive Secretary of the NCDMB, Dr. Ernest Nwapa described the planned MoU between Nigeria and Senegal as evidence that key initiatives of Nigerian Content development had been consolidated over the years and had become a model for African countries. He underscored the need for the Senegalese Government to take their Local Content policy seriously, design a plan for implementation and pay attention to capacity building of their locals.