Local content board trains 5, 000 youth on oil, gas in Delta

Nosa Akenzua, Asaba

No fewer than 5, 000 youth from the local government areas in across Delta state has been trained on oil gas prospects.

Facilitator of the training, the Nigeria Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) on Wednesday in Asaba, said the training is designed to intimate young Nigerians on how to be actively involved in the oil and gas industry.

Executive Secretary, NCDMB, Simbi Wabote, who spoke to journalists, said that before the establishment of the board, the level of participation among Nigerians in the oil and gas industry was almost zero following the number of expatriates rendering services in the oil and gas industry.

“From the outset, the board has consistently emphasized that the Nigerian content policy is about domiciliation of work and development of local capacity with the associated benefits and not indigenization,” Wabote said

He said opportunities abound for youth to capitalize on for their betterment in the oil industry as some of the damages to oil pipelines were not necessarily done by vandals, but as a result of expired steels.

“The youth took advantage of supplying steels to replace the pipes and it will improve their economic fortunes,” he said

The 5, 000 participants were drawn from the 25 local government areas of the state, particularly the ljaw speaking areas.

In another development, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has appointed Sylvester Monye, Kingsley Emu, Emmanuel Aguariacwodo, Efe Ofoburuku and Emmanuel Okoro as special advisers.

Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Chiedu Ebie, in a statement issued and on Wednesday in Asaba, said the appointees will be inaugurated next week.

Ebie explained that the appointment of the special advisers was based on merit, especially with their political track records