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NCDMB outlines development programs for oil bearing communities
T
he Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) is implementing several initiatives that are contributing to the development of oil producing communities, improvement of the local economy and management of conflict. The Executive Secretar y of NCDMB, Engr. Simbi Kesiye Wabote outlined these interventions in a presentation he made on recently, in Abuja to the National Defence College Course 28, on the topic “Conflict Management in the Niger Delta: An Appraisal of the NCDMB. Represented by the General Manager, Planning, Research & Development, NCDMB, Mr. Abdulmalik Halilu, he outlined six sources of conflict in the Niger Delta region to include Environmental degradation, loss of land due to oil exploration and production, Inequality between oil workers & host communities, Lack of social amenities, Low participation of host communities in oil and gas supply chain and agitation for resource control. He observed that such conflicts
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Majorwaves Energy Report
APRIL 2020, Vol 3 No 4
have had adverse impact on the nation’s infrastructure, economy, security and social indicators. He noted that there are three major mechanisms for conflict management, notably the use of force which is not very effective, having a developmental agenda for the region, which is the best approach and fits into the NCDMB mandate as a development agency and negotiations, which is the strategy often adopted by the amnesty program and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) by Operating companies, service companies, government agencies and development partners. He explained the NCDMB model for development of the Niger Delta to include four broad areas, namely funding, infrastructure development, CSR and Human capital development On funding, he said NCDMB had put the Community Contractors Fund in place under the Nigerian Content Intervention Fund (NCI Fund), which allows community contractors to access up to N20 million naira for contract execution in the oil and gas industry at five percent interest rate. On
infrastructure, the NCDMB helmsman said the Board was developing the Nigerian Oil and Gas Park Scheme (NOGAPS), where it is setting up oil and gas parks in four strategic locations in the oil producing states for ma nuf a c t ur ing e quip m e nt , components, and chemicals and for training youths. He added that the shared service model adopted for the operation of the parks will reduce start–up and operating cost of occupants thereby enhancing their competitiveness and viability. Each park location is projected to create 10,000 direct, indirect and induced jobs during construction and operations phase, he said. He also identified the gas metering and distribution facility which the NCDMB is catalysing in partnership with Shell Nigeria Gas (SNG) at Polaku, Bayelsa State. He said the plant will create over 30,000 direct, indirect and induced jobs from the several gasbased industries that will set up along the gas corridor, including LPG cylinder manufacturing, CNG/ LNG mother station distribution and power plant and pressure reduction facility.
