56 UK, Nigerian firms explore opportunities in Local Content in oil, gas

Nigeria content policy has continued to attract international attention as business concerns from the United Kingdom continue to explore ways they could form partnerships with Nigerian firms to enhance local capacity in the oil and gas industry.

The United Kingdom Trade and Investment (UKTI), which has continued to co-ordinate this relationship between British business groups and Nigerian companies, organised a networking meeting between prospective business concerns in Nigeria and their counterparts in the UK, to synergise and enhance local capacity and capability.

To this effect, a total of 100 delegates representing 56 companies from Nigeria and the UK explored opportunities for collaboration at the annual Nigeria-UK Supplier Engagement Programme organised by Shell Nigeria Exploration Company Limited (SNEPCo) in conjunction with the UKTI.

The event, which held in Lagos, brought together companies engaged in a wide variety of activities in the oil and gas industry – engineering, maintenance, fabrication and subsea support services.

The UK delegation, which included Nigerian experts in the Diaspora who SNEPCo had reached out to in previous business summits in Aberdeen and London, first met with Shell Companies in Nigeria on areas of need and technical gaps.

In his remark at the event, Osagie Okunbor, chairman, Shell Companies in Nigeria and managing director of Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC), observed: “The striking feature of this year’s business summit is the presence of Nigerians in the Diaspora, and the UK delegations show that, our engagements with Nigerians to take up opportunities back home in the oil and gas industry, is being well received, and this is good news for everybody.”

The networking meetings included several members of the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN).

Also commenting, Chiedu Oba, general manager, Nigerian Content Development, Shell Nigeria, in his welcome address, said, “Shell has a long-term and continuing commitment to Nigeria, its people and the economy. One of the most significant ways we have delivered on that commitment is by increasing the participation of Nigerian companies and individuals in our supply chain and operations – to ensure that as many Nigerians as possible benefit from our activities and business.”

Speaking at a reception organised by UKTI for the suppliers, Denzil Kentebe, executive secretary, Nigerian Contend Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), lauded the Shell initiative to foster partnerships that will help local vendors strengthen their technical capability.

UKTI director Chris Maskell thanked Shell for the continued support on the Nigeria-UK Supplier Engagement programme.

SNEPCo initiated the Nigeria-UK Supplier Engagement programme in 2009, and has led to some 27 partnerships between Nigerian and UK companies with another 43 partnership discussions progressing well. Shell companies in Nigeria are major contributors to the national economy, not only through the energy they produce and the revenues generated, but also via achievement.