IBY
Peterside Rejoice Eneky
The Senate Committee on Local Content has reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that Nigerians fully benefit from the nation’s natural resources by expanding local content policies beyond the oil and gas sector.
At its inaugural meeting in Abuja on Wednesday, the newly restructured committee, now chaired by Senator Ewomazino Thomas Joel-Onowakpo (Delta South), announced plans to collaborate with the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) to enhance local capacity development across key industries.
Senator Joel-Onowakpo emphasized that the committee’s mandate, as outlined in Order 96 of the Senate Standing Orders 2023 (as amended), includes overseeing Nigerian content development, monitoring the NCDMB, and promoting local manpower and technology transfer across multiple sectors, including construction, power, railways, and ICT.
“The NCDMB plays a critical role in ensuring that Nigerians benefit maximally from the country’s natural resources. This committee will work closely with the Board to implement policies that promote local content development and economic self-reliance,” he stated.
As part of its oversight functions, the committee has scheduled a visit to the NCDMB headquarters in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, from Wednesday to Friday next week.
The committee’s renewed focus follows a recent reshuffling of Senate committee leadership by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, which saw Senator Natasha Akpoti move to the Committee on Diaspora Affairs while Senator Joel-Onowakpo took over the Local Content Committee.
Senator Diket Plang (Plateau Central) echoed the chairman’s stance, emphasizing that the committee’s work would extend beyond oil and gas to manufacturing and other critical industries.
He reiterated the Senate’s determination to implement policies that drive local content development, create jobs, and ensure that Nigeria maximizes its natural resources for national growth.
The committee pledged to foster an enabling environment for local businesses, strengthen collaboration with industry stakeholders, and ensure strict adherence to local content regulations across all sectors of the economy.
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