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INTERVIEW
“…small business enterprises hold the key to lift 100 million Nigerians above poverty line” Hon. ‘Legor Idagbo, House Committee Chairman on Local Content youth employment and opportunity for MSME in every sector of the economy remains the objective of the proposed bill. It was mentioned that the Senate is considering having another body or agency which would have the oversight function over local content activities, rather than the NCDMB having directorates to manage these sectors. Do you foresee politics getting in the way of this noble pursuit to further explore the benefits of Nigerian Content an in an already over-regulated business environment? While the organization structure of the Body that would be responsible for overseeing the implementation of Nigerian Content in every sector of the Economy is a critical success factor, our emphasis would be to
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hat’s the plan for NCDMB regarding that period between repealing the NOGICD Act and the passing of the new bill? Do recall that the PIB has taken 2 and a half decades already. We don’t intend to repeal the NOGICD Act. It is the extant law on local content. Hence, the NCDMB will still carry out its statutory duties and one of which includes the implementation of the Act. However, NCDMB can’t run the company that will oversee the proposed industrial parks; a PPP model is a more appropriate model.
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Majorwaves Energy Report
APRIL 2020, Vol 3 No 4
So, the Board will still be alive during that period. NCDMB would also be expected as a key Stakeholder to provide support in the engagement process and articulation of the new proposed Legislation. Mind you, PIB is in a class of its own. Lessons learnt from the attempt of previous National Assembly have been incorporated into the process of preparing the proposed Bill by the Nigerian Content Committee of Senate and House of Representative. The need to provide additional legislative support for Executive Orders 3 and 5 of the Presidency and deliver the potential benefits from the proposed legislation cannot be over-emphasised, the potential for
develop sector-specific regulations that would replicate the successes achieved by NCDMB
and leverage on existing public procurement processes. There exists a hybrid of regulatory options that are flexible to provide for sector specific self-regulations. What is paramount is that the interests of Nigerians are perfectly protected. I envisage that all stakeholders would be able to align on a fit for purpose organization structure that would be positioned to deliver on the people’s aspiration of promoting the interest of Nigerians in all the sectors of the economy. You alluded to the inability of government to sustain business ventures with particular reference to the planned industrial parks by NCDMB.Would you reconsider that position against the backdrop of Saudi Aramco, as well as NLNG?
