..As NCDMB tasks industry players on local manpower utilization
By Charles Ebi
Nigerian government has reaffirmed its commitment to global energy giant, TotalEnergies, to back its plans to resuscitate dormant assets in order to boost oil production in Africa’s largest oil producer.
The unlocking of inactive and untapped oil and gas assets is part of renewed efforts to ramp up national crude production with an ambitious 3 million barrels per day eyed by the Nigerian government
During a visit to TotalEnergies’ headquarters in Paris and its Research Institute in Pau, France, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Petroleum Resources ,Oil, Mr Heineken Lokpobiri, emphasized the administration’s readiness to provide the necessary regulatory backing to bring dormant fields into active production.
Mr Lokpobiri said, “Getting inactive and untapped assets to work remains critical in our drive to ramp up production. The Federal Government remains firmly committed to supporting operators in this regard”.
The visit, conducted at the invitation of TotalEnergies, formed part of Nigeria’s ongoing strategic engagement with international stakeholders.
The French multinational is preparing to unlock several assets in Nigeria, some acquired in the most recent marginal field bid round and others held from earlier operations.
“President Bola Tinubu has been unequivocal in his mandate for all operators to unlock dormant fields. As policy maker and supervisor of regulatory agencies, we are pursuing this mission with the full dedication required to actualize it”, Lokpobiri stated.
He noted that the engagement with TotalEnergies aligns with the President’s directive for aggressive production growth and asset optimization in the oil sector.
Nigeria, Africa’s largest crude exporter, has faced challenges in meeting OPEC+ quotas in recent years due to oil theft, underinvestment, and aging infrastructure. Currently, production hovers around 1.5 million barrels per day.
While touring TotalEnergies’ state-of-the-art Research Center in Pau, which includes a Smart Room and technical support centre capable of aiding asset development in real time, the Minister expressed optimism about the collaborative potential.
“Their Smart Room and support center have the capacity to complement our efforts to ramp up production. I reiterated our readiness to provide regulatory support as they unlock these assets. The time to ramp up production is now, and the benefits are mutual”.
TotalEnergies is one of Nigeria’s most significant oil and gas investors, with assets across deepwater, onshore, and gas projects.
The company expressed its intention to deepen its footprint in Nigeria, especially as it repositions its energy mix strategy globally.
“I am particularly pleased that TotalEnergies is taking decisive steps in this direction”, Mr Lokpobiri added.
The visit follows similar engagement with other IOCs, where the government has pledged to reduce bottlenecks, fast-track approvals, and implement investor-friendly policies.
Meanwhile, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board ,NCDMB, has said it will continue to collaborate with Dangote Petroleum Refinery, while highlighting the need to ensure more value retention in the sector, as mandated by the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act ,NOGICD, 2010.
The Board demanded compliance with Sections 32 and 33 of the NOGICD Act, with particular reference to local manpower utilization and requirements for NCDMB’s approval prior to the engagement of expatriates.
The Executive Secretary of the Board Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe said this when the NCDMB and the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemical Company inaugurated a Joint Technical Committee ,JTC, aimed at advancing local content implementation during the operational phase of the 650,000 barrels per day refinery plant.
The inauguration ceremony which took place at the Dangote Free Trade Zone, Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos State marks a pivotal moment in fostering strategic collaboration between both institutions and is a significant move to reinforce local content development in the oil and gas sector.
The ceremony presided over by Ogbe, and the Group Vice President, Oil and Gas, Dangote Group, Chief Edwin Devakumar featured the formal sign-off of the Committee’s Terms of Reference ,ToR, a guided tour of the refinery, other critical facilities, and the official commencement of the JTC’s responsibilities.
Ogbe said, “The NOGICD Act stipulates that no expatriate can be employed in any organization in the oil and gas industry without the prior approval of the NCDMB. We will work with you. We have to protect jobs for Nigerians.
“This collaboration must ensure qualified Nigerians are given opportunities across all operational roles. It is critical to job creation, skills development, and national capacity building in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu”, he added.
The NCDMB boss also urged Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals to support its initiative aimed at developing oil and gas industrial parks across the country to foster local content and manufacturing in the oil and gas sector.
He explained that the Nigerian Oil and Gas Parks Scheme ,NOGaPS, seeks to create an enabling environment for Small and Medium Enterprises in the sector.
NOGaPS was conceived by the Board to develop facilities close to oil fields where manufacturing of oil and gas components, as well as research and development, can be carried out.
“We would like Dangote to support one of our major activities, which is the oil and gas industrial parks scheme. The parks are aimed at creating an enabling environment for SMEs in the industry to do fabrication, among others, and create more jobs for Nigerians”, Ogbe said.
In his welcome address, Devakumar highlighted that the Dangote refinery project and NCDMB have been working together, promoting local content development during the construction stages of the project.
“We can’t say we have achieved everything, but there is opportunity to do more”, he said.
“We are grateful to the NCDMB for all their support and advice. As entrepreneurs, we are trying to optimise costs. It is a Nigerian company, it is also an entrepreneur-driven company. As a Nigerian company, the focus will be on Nigerian content. As an entrepreneur-driven company, it will be cost-focused.
He underscored the long-standing commitment of the Dangote Group to national development and capacity building, remarking that the Group’s vision is to grow Nigeria’s industrial landscape.
The high point of the visit was the inauguration of the Committee’s members. The Committee is tasked with ensuring the implementation of local content in refinery operations. Its core objectives include promoting the use of Nigerian skilled manpower, services, and locally sourced materials in compliance with Section 3 of the NOGICD Act.
They will also support Dangote Refinery in aligning its operational procedures with the Act’s requirements.
In his acceptance remarks, Director of Corporate Services at NCDMB and chair of the Committee, Mr. Abdulmalik Halilu, expressed gratitude to the leadership of both organizations. He reiterated the Committee’s dedication to upholding the highest standards of local content enforcement and fostering measurable outcomes that will benefit the Nigerian economy.
The visit also featured the presentation of the certificate of the Nigerian Content Downstream Operator of the Year Award won by the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemical Company at the inaugural Champions of Nigerian Content Awards held recently in May.
The Executive Secretary NCDMB made the presentation to the President of the Dangote Group, Alhalji Aliko Dangote, who expressed delight at the recognition, noting that he would display the certificate proudly at his office.
Ogbe congratulated the Dangote Group on the successful development and commissioning of the largest single train refinery in the world, as well as petrochemical and fertiliser plants, describing the projects as a “historic milestone” not only for Nigeria but for the entire continent.
He emphasized that the Dangote Refinery stands as a testament to the success of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development ,NOGICD, Act of 2010 and the transformative potential of Nigerian-led industrial projects.
“At an optimal daily production capacity of 650,000 barrels, this refinery will significantly enhance Nigeria’s energy security and contribute to the supply of refined petroleum products across West Africa”, the Executive Secretary stated.
“Nigerians, have to own the plant, we have to make sure that the plant works well. We have to secure it, we have to maintain it”, he said.
