By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Senate President Ahmad Lawan wants Nigeria to beef up local capacities against coronavirus fall-outs to help grow the economy to a height that truly reflects the country as the giant of Africa.
He bared his mind in Abuja on Wednesday at the virtual opening of the Nigerian Content Summit jointly organised by the Senate Committee on Local Content and House of Representatives Committees on Content Development and Monitoring.
He said the summit, the first of its kind, as a pre-public hearing to “stimulate understanding on the short- and long-term implications of relevant bills before the two houses.”
Lawan disclosed that the amendments bills include those on the Nigeria Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act 2010, Nigerian Local Content Enforcement Bill 2020, and Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Act 2020 (Repeal and Re-enactment).
“This value addition expectedly developed from within, with the aid of local services and resources in the petroleum industry, should contribute to local capacity building, with considerations for the elements of health, safety and quality,” he said.
In his view, Nigeria must appreciate that social and economic conditions need continuous reviews for development, “with a good quantum of home-grown fundamentals,” and especially because of the new realities brought by coronavirus.
“The pandemic reminds us of the need for resource independence, the strengthening of local capacity, and the importance of increasing indigenous variables in the oil and gas production, and in other areas.”
“The overall aim of this is the promotion of industrialisation of the nation’s all-important oil and gas sectors, for enhancing the wellbeing of those in the industry and the overall growth of the Nigerian economy.
“We are actually at a time for more inward reflection, through the enhancement of internal capacity, towards productivity and efficiency, for national progress. This is all to satisfy the yearnings and aspirations of the people.”
