In determination to gather credible data on the oil and gas industry, the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has partnered with the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) to hold a two-day sensitisation workshop for companies engaged in well and drilling services and petroleum engineering services, ahead of a new phase of Nigerian Content baseline census.

The workshop which was held on Tuesday and Wednesday in Abuja and was declared open by the Director, Planning, Research and Statistics, NCDMB, Mr. Isaac Yalah, who was represented by the General Manager of Research, Statistics, and Development, Mr.  Omomehin Ajimijaye Silas.   The Director explained that the new baseline census was strictly for firms engaged in well and drilling services and petroleum engineering services and is a sequel to similar projects conducted for companies operating in fabrication, design engineering and manufacturing of components used in the oil and gas industry.

The previous exercises produced reports on the installed and utilized capacities and those reports guide the Board’s policies and initiatives. He confirmed that the baseline census will cover over 200 companies, hinting that a team of enumerators comprising personnel of the NCDMB, NBS, and a consultant will visit the listed companies across the country, where they would validate the existing capacities and capabilities as well as the utilized capacities. The purpose of the sensitisation workshop, the Director explained, was to educate the representatives of the service companies on the importance of baseline data collection using questionnaires and surveys.

He hinted that the exercise will create a credible database for periodic gap analysis of service companies in the sector and allow the Board to intervene where necessary as part of its mandate in local content development in the oil and gas sector. He added that the data collated from the baseline census will be used by the Government for policy formulation and enable the Board to grow local content development from the current level of 54% to the 70% target set in the Nigerian Content 10-year strategic roadmap.

The baseline census will also help the Board identify the areas that create the highest mileage in the industry among wells, drilling and petroleum engineering services. He urged all participants to fill out the questionnaire before the onsite visit by the enumerators, to reduce the time spent on the exercise.

The outcome would also guide recommendations to the Federal Government on the right interventions that will grow service companies in the oil and gas industry, he added. In his comments, the Head of Data Processing and Analysis, National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Mr. Michael Akinola commended the collaboration between NCDMB and NBS and reiterated the importance of incorporating stakeholders in robust data gathering. He noted that the data collated will be used by both the Government and stakeholders alike.