Gains of local content in oil sector unprecedented

Executive Secretary of Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Engineer Ernest Nwapa has described the gains of the local content policy of the nation’s oil and gas sector as “unprecedented.”

Nwapa spoke in Lagos last Thursday at the commissioning of West Africa’s first Safety Service Centre, which was built by Future Concerns Nigeria Limited (FCNL) and MSA, a United States-based manufacturer, provider and distributor of personal protective equipment

He said the partnership between MSA and FCNL has further highlighted the gains of the local content policy of the federal government.

According to him, local oil firms now attract huge foreign direct investment into the sector, which was earlier dominated by multinational companies

He said, “Without doubt the local content policy of the government is yielding great gains. Gone are the days when Nigerians celebrated the award of fat contracts in the industry as the only dividend of local content. We have gone beyond that. Nigerian entrepreneurs are now taking on bigger roles by attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) and forging alliances with global brands with the purpose of technology transfer and capacity development that could aid the progress of the local content policy.”

Managing

Director, FCNL Engineer Tony Oguike assured that the new facility would deliver great value to clients in the oil and gas sector.

Oguike explained that FCNL’s experience and expertise convinced MSA to grant it the rights to build the facility. He said, “The Future Concerns group focuses on the pursuit of excellence, delivering value, worthwhile partnership and exceeding client’s expectations. Our business model is about satisfying the clients. Those are some of the key factors that influenced the decision of MSA to grant us the rights to build an independent service and maintenance centre in West Africa, the first of its kind.

“MSA has about a 100-year experience in the business of manufacturing and maintenance of safety equipment, with presence in all the continents of the world. Convincing them was not an easy task but we were able to prove to them that we could deliver. We are very pleased that they trust us and the result is the commissioning of this facility today.”

MSA’s Managing Director, subSaharan Africa, Mr. Colin Oliver, commended Oguike’s enterprising spirit and Future Concerns’ professionalism and integrity.

Oliver noted that the relationship between the two companies has been further strengthened by the core values of quality service, integrity and responsiveness that Future Concerns has displayed all through the years of the relationship.