By Emmanuel Addeh
The Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Mr. Timipre Sylva, has said that creating massive job opportunities in the Niger Delta region can help reduce restiveness in the oil-producing area.
Speaking during an inspection of the site of the ongoing Nigerian Oil and Gas Park Scheme (NOGAPS) at Emeyal, Ogbia local government, Bayelsa State, the minister noted that the project was capable of providing 2,000 jobs when completed.
Sylva stated that local content in the oil and gas industry was critical to the achievement of President Muhammadu Buhari’s job creation plan, reiterating that the federal government in the next few years is keen on raising indigenous participation in the oil and gas sector from 30 per cent to 70 per cent.
“I must say I’m very impressed with what I have seen today. Once upon a time this place was a swamp.
The Buhari administration promised to bring jobs to our people because we believe that job creation can also solve the problem of the Niger Delta Region. President Buhari is living up and doing just that: job creation.
“We are certain that within the life of this administration this project will be settled and commissioned. The NCDMB has done very well. Before the establishment of this board, local participation was just about 3 per cent, but today they have taken it to over 30 per cent and the trajectory is to boost it to 70 per cent within a few years from now.
“This place, when completed, can create 2,000 jobs and this is just one of the many that we have across the country,” the minister stressed.
While lauding the host community for a sustained atmosphere of peace, the minister emphasised that the project could not have been possible without the prevailing calm in the area.
The NOGAPS is also expected to attract International Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMS) as well as Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) to set up shop floors for the manufacturing of components used in oil and gas industries.
Sylva added: “There are a lot of Niger Delta people that have no jobs, so as a responsible government one of the first things we must do is to try to see how those very able-bodied and qualified young people who are unemployed will be gainfully employed.
“From what, I am seeing here, the project is over 70 per cent complete and so we are certain that within the life of this administration this project here will be commissioned.
“What we are trying to do here is to create an opportunity for manufacturing some of the parts that are needed in the oil industry, there is no reason why we would be importing everything including knots and bolts from outside Nigeria.
“NCDMB has brought this opportunity for us to bring companies that will operate here to be able to produce those things to salvage this Nigeria. In other countries, the service industry is even bigger than the oil industry itself because they produce all the equipment that are needed for the industry.”
The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) in his opening remarks hailed the minister for his support for the project.
He noted that NOGAPS is the NCDMB’s flagship project, which is in line with the federal government’s mandate to develop indigenous capacities for the oil and gas industry and commended Buhari’s for opening up local manufacturing in the country.
