Female energy entrepreneurs to benefit from inclusiveness scheme
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Female oil and gas entrepreneurs are to get $40 million intervention fund from the Nigerian Content Development Monitoring Board (NCDMB) in partnership with the Nigerian Export Import (NEXIM) Bank to ensure greater inclusiveness.
NCDMB Executive Secretary Simbi Wabote disclosed the loan in Abuja at the Oil and Gas Trainers Association of Nigeria (OGTAN) 2nd Annual General Meeting/Lecture Series.
Wabote said there is no gender bias in the NCDMB, which agrees with theme of the meeting, “Diversity & inclusiveness in human capital development”.
“At the NCDMB there is no gender bias as it is all inclusive and provides equal opportunities for applicants and beneficiaries.
“The Board has also initiated and executed other interventions to promote diversity inclusiveness,” he explained in a virtual goodwill message to the meeting.
“These interventions are done in partnership with the Bank of Industry. Others are facilitated by the Nigerian Export Import Bank.
“One of the challenges of the participation of women in the oil and gas could be the non availability of funds.
“It was in the bid to address this challenge that the board established the Nigerian Content Intervention Fund.
“Furthermore, to provide the same chance for women in the oil and gas industry, the board partnered with NEXIM bank to establish a $20m fund that was matched with additional $20m by NEXIM bank to provide better fund, bringing the funds available to women in oil and gas industry to $40m.”
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Promoting women inclusiveness
Wabote said NCDMB established the diversity sectoral group to address diversity on the board, and it has organised several events targeted at women and community activities to promote women inclusiveness in the sector.
He vowed that the board will continue to promote human capacity development across various spheres of the energy sector, according to The Nation.
Justice Derefaka, Gas Business Technical Adviser to Petroleum Resources Minister of State Timipre Sylva, reiterated that women now “want to break the glass ceiling and technology has a key role to play.”
He sought digital upskilling to bridge the gap created by technology, saying the oil and gas industry is feeling the effect of an ageing workforce, expanding skill gap, and talent scarcity.
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