Mr Simbi Wabote, the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB),has called for increase in research and development in the oil and gas sector to increase the country benefits.
Wabote made the call on Thursday at the 6th National Council on Hydrocarbons in Port Harcourt.
Wabote who was represented by Mr Patrick Obah, the Director Planning, Research and Statistic pointed out that the nation has to be aware of the global changing in energy mix and capitalise on the opportunities still available in oil and gas to prepare for the present and future.
He stated that the theme of the meeting “Unlocking the Potential and Prospects of Nigeria Oil and Gas Industry through Efficient Implementation of the Petroleum Industrial Bill” was an opportunity for the country to benefit from the value chain in the oil and gas sector.
Wabote stated that the global energy transition has thrown up a lot of challenges to the oil and gas sector, stressing that Nigeria must give serious consideration on how to develop local capacities to make her relevant currently and in future.
“We must put our acts together to preserve the future for coming generations”, he said.
According to him, the NCDMB target of 70 per cent local capacity in the oil and gas industry should transcend the sector to other areas of renewable energy.
“The oil and gas sector must embrace research and development as a necessity to add so much value to enable Nigeria to compete with other parts of the world,” he said.
In his goodwill message, Mr Ed Ubong,the President, Nigeria Gas Association, said that Nigeria is in an era of Gas with oil unlike in the past when it was oil with gas which prompted the government to launch the Decade of Gas programme.
Ubong who is also Managing Director, of Shell Gas Limited advised stakeholders that in pursuing the decade of gas programme they should ensure that “gas must drive our industrial development.
“We need industrial clusters in the parts of the Niger Delta region and most importantly ensure that cooking gas is available at affordable rate”, he stated.
He added that government and stakeholders should develop a regulatory framework that would allow investors put their money in the nation’s gas sector.
“We should as well make investments that allow us to export our gas resources.
“We need local manpower to work in the sector so that we do not need to import expatriates to come and take over the industry as has been in the past.
“As we move into the decade of gas let us be united and not divided as seen in the case of oil,” he said.
