Since the passage of the Nigerian Content Bill into an Act in 2011, there are indications that local participation in oil and gas industry has improved tremendously, especially when we look at the numbers of contracts awarded to indigenous companies, employment generation, and localisation of local inputs in the oil and gas industry.
However one critical segment of the society has not been so lucky to take advantage provided by the Act. This is the women folks. To address this imbalance, the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCMDB) is set to roll out policies that would enable women to participate actively in the programme overseen by the agency.
“Women operators in the Nigerian oil and gas industry will soon benefit from gender-friendly policies on access to funding, award of contracts and support for research and development, courtesy of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB)”, the agency said.
Simbi Kesiye Wabote, executive secretary of NCDMB, who made this known at the close of the workshop NCMDB organised for women in oil and gas industry on in Lagos, however stated that companies supervised by women make profits and are run better across the globe.
He noted that since the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act was instituted as a deliberate agenda to get more Nigerians to participate in the oil and gas industry, there should also be special initiatives to encourage women participation in the sector.
He quoted a recent study by the Global Energy Talent Index Report which indicated that there is a chronic shortage of women in the oil and gas industry.
”It is estimated that women occupy about 50 percent of non-technical positions at entry level compared to only 15 percent of technical and field role positions.
“Gender diversity decreases with seniority with only a tiny proportion of women in executive positions. The percentage of women in the industry drops over time from 36 percent 24 percent between the middle and executive level.”
He said NCDMB will review its strategy on the Nigerian Content Intervention Fund (NCI Fund), adding that”access to finance is very important and we will look at our policy to see how we can support women who are serious to do business.”
The Executive Secretary assured that the Board would work with project promoters in the oil and gas industry to ensure the award of some contracts to companies owned by women, including Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Company, which is set to start the execution of the Train 7 project.
NCDMB would also encourage the study of sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) by young girls in secondary schools and drive the collation of data on women who participate in various sectors of the oil and gas industry, so they can receive support, he promised.
The Executive Secretary confirmed that ”out of the total number trained by the Board, women constitute about 20 percent of the trainees and we hope to increase the number of women trained to meet up the industry skilled labour demand.”
Folasade Yemi-Esan, acting Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, commended the organisers of the workshop and expressed hope that it would catalyse other dialogues to be initiated by the Board and complement other ongoing activities, programmes and policies of the government to propel Nigeria to achieve the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goals 4, 5 and 10.
She insisted that Nigeria should “go beyond the rhetoric of having a quota for women in decision making or other strategic positions by ensuring that the country maximizes the economic potential of its whole labour force by promoting equal rights, access and opportunities for all at all levels.”
Hadiza Bala-Usman, managing director of the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) in a goodwill message she delivered at the event, charged career women to define themselves around capacity and capability and not just because they are women. “When you get there, you must prove that you are capable.”
She charged persons in authority to mentor young girls and consciously accommodate the needs of young working mums, so they can remain in employment and gain needed experience and competences that will position them for promotion into executive positions years later.
Olusola Bello
