Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, has applauded the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) for their partnership aimed at enhancing local content capacity in the Niger Delta region.
This commendation followed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two organizations, pledging to leverage shared aspirations and collaborate on diverse fronts to deliver sustainable development projects in the region.
During an interactive session between the Senate Committee on Local Content and the NDDC Managing Director, Samuel Ogbuku, Senator Natasha urged the NDDC to prioritize recruiting their trained workforce to foster effective service delivery.
As the Chair of the Local Content Committee, she emphasized the importance of not only building capacity and equipping the workforce but also engaging them efficiently.
“NDDC should consider being the primary recruiters of their trained workforce,” she stated. “Artisans or skilled professionals such as ICT workers can be absorbed by NDDC contractors, which in turn, will enable the commission to reach the most vulnerable and neglected youth.”
Senator Natasha also committed to partnering with the NDDC to establish a database of artisans nationwide, aiming to strengthen the workforce and contribute to Nigeria’s microeconomic growth.
“The Local Content Committee intends to deploy innovative thinking for positive results,” she explained. “We are building a database of carefully profiled artisans who have been trained by NDDC, SMEDAN, etc.; and work modalities to have the oil & gas companies, as well as government contractors, recruit from the pool of verified workforce.”
“This would help curb unemployment by keeping the jobs locally,” she added. “Such a project would also help the Local content board, NDDC and other agencies monitor and evaluate the performance of our collective capacity-building efforts towards achieving a common microeconomic growth for Nigeria and Africa at large.”
NDDC Managing Director, Samuel Ogbuku, welcomed Senator Natasha’s proposal and expressed eagerness to collaborate with the Local Content Committee in developing strategies to engage trained personnel for employment opportunities.
This collaborative effort between the NDDC, NLNG, and the Local Content Committee underscores their commitment to fostering local content development, empowering the Niger Delta region, and contributing to Nigeria’s overall economic growth.
