Port Harcourt — A group known as Niger Delta Youths Coalition for
Peace and Progress, NDYCPP, says it is working on a bottom-top
approach, to ensure active participation of Niger Delta youths in the
upcoming Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas, NLNG, Train 7 project.
The NLNG Train 7 project, which aims to increase the company’s gas
production capacity from 22 million tonnes to 30 million tonnes per
annum, at an estimated cost of $4.3billion, according to the company,
would provide at least 78,000 jobs.
Leader of the group, Mr. Kennedy West, said that NDYCPP was building
the capacity of the host communities to benefit from the project, in
order to create harmony amongst actors towards achieving a win-win
situation.
West explained that the group would liaise with young entrepreneurs as
well as the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, NCDMB,
in sensitizing the youths of the region on the opportunities in the
project.
He said that the involvement of the host communities in the project
would further enhance peace and security as anybody with business ties
to it would do everything to ensure its survival.
According to him, “We have been making efforts to sensitize our people
who have expertise in several aspects of the oil and gas sector on the
big opportunity before us in the NLNG’s Train-7 project.
There are so many opportunities and for those who already have the
capacity we are linking them up. For those who lack the capacity, we
have built up their skill base so that they can fit in.
“We are collaborating with the Nigerian Content Development and
Monitoring Board and the NLNG Limited to host a business opportunity
roundtable for stakeholders in the NLNG Train-7.
The Managing Director of NLNG will be leading other Managing Directors
of many international oil companies participating in the project to
the summit to be held in Bonny Island.
This is the first time a bottom-top approach will be applied to create
harmony amongst actors in the field towards achieving a win-win
situation in a project like this.
West, who is also the Special Assistant to the Bayelsa State Governor
on Niger Delta Youth Matters, expressed optimism that the project
would boost the local content drive of the Federal Government,
especially if the host communities were factored into the project at
the planning stage.
We are encouraged by the stand of the Executive Secretary of NCDMB
that there must be significant level of Nigerian content in this huge
project.
This feat is achievable if we harness the existing capacity and match
it with opportunities. So in working closely with NCDMB, we will
showcase what we have to ensure that whatever can be done in Nigeria
is given to Nigerians.
In so doing, Nigerian businesses will be given opportunities to reduce
the dominance of foreigners in the Nigerian oil and gas industry
space.