December 14, 2024

NCDMB offers oil- producing community contractors 5% interest loan

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NCDMB

Oredola Adeola

The Nigerian Content Development & Monitoring Board(NCDMB), has called on contractors from oil -producing communities to apply for the Nigerian Content Intervention Fund’s five percent per annum interest loan facility to boost local capacity, competence, and provide the needed manpower for local participation in the oil and gas sector.

Fateemah Mohammed, Manager, Special Purpose Vehicle & Credit/Nigerian Content Development Fund (NCDF), made this known, while speaking at a one- day workshop on Community Content Guideline (CCG) for Contractors, Youth and Community Leaders in Oil Producing Communities of Delta State.

She disclosed that the single digit loan facility is managed by the Bank of Industry (BoI). She added that community contractors do not need to be contributors to the Nigerian Content Development Fund (NCDF) to access the loan facility.

Engr. Ginah O. Ginah GM, Cooperate Communications/Zonal Coordinations, (CC/ZC), who represented the Executive Secretary, Engr. Simbi Wabote FNSE, revealed that NCDMB is specifically committed to the Employment and Human Capital Development (HCD) as contained in the Community Content Guideline (CCG).

He explained that the guideline seeks to ensure that indigenes of the oil- producing communities are gainfully employed, earn a living wage from their contributions, develop competencies relevant to the job roles and pay taxes to the government.
He said, “The HCD intervention will among others cover direct trainings by NCDMB, operations, contractors & projects promoters: Scholarships, Entrepreneurship & Empowerment and Project-based Trainings sponsored by Operators, Contractors or Sub-contractors.

In the area of procurement of goods & services, Engr.Ginah added that impacted communities shall be considered for involvement in the establishment, maintenance, operations, security and any other empowerment activity associated with the “conduit” in their domain.

In his presentation, the NCDMB GM, CC/ZC, explained the Board’s Community Content Guideline (CCG) highlighting that the CCG is aimed at protecting the Host community’s interest and integrating the Host Community into Oil & Gas operations.
He said, “In the CCG, host community is defined as “the community where
oil and gas operations/projects takes place”.
He highlighted the objectives of the CCG to include: structured engagement of youths in host communities in productive services, supplies, manufacturing and contracts, establish critical infrastructure to stimulate development in host communities; attract new businesses to strategic locations in host Communities; sustain growth of host community entrepreneurs through funding and policy support.

According to him Community Content Framework has four (4) broad pillars which include: Project Office and Community Offices; Employment and Human Capital Development (HCD); Procurement of Goods and Services and funding.

He also spoke on other critical subjects including governance framework, monitoring and evaluation framework, consequences for non-compliance.

The NCDMB GM, further disclosed that it took more than one year of collaborative effort between the Board and the Oil and Gas companies to develop the Community Content Guideline.

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