By Stanley Onyeka, Lagos
With contracts worth $1.98 billion awarded to businesses in 2023 in continuing effort to develop Nigerian content in the oil and gas industry, Shell companies in Nigeria (SCiN) reiterated their support for indigenous companies at the 13th edition of the Practical Nigerian Content forum in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
The companies are participating at the forum with a strong message of support for Nigerian companies.
The contracts, awarded by the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC), Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited (SNEPCo), and Shell Nigeria Gas (SNG), represent a three percent increase over the 2022 performance of $1.92 billion.
Shell companies in Nigeria are among more than 700 oil and gas entities taking part in the 13th edition of the Practical Nigerian Content forum in Yenagoa, where they restated their commitment to the development of Nigerian companies through contract awards and scaling up of expertise.
The four-day conference with the theme “Deepening the Next Frontier for Nigerian Content Implementation.”
This will see the hosts, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and participating companies review progress on the development of Nigerian content pertaining to the implementation of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Development (NOGICD) Act since it was enacted in 2010.
Business Opportunity Manager for SNEPCo’s Bonga South-West Aparo Project Olaposi Fadahunsi, representing SNEPCo Managing Director, Ron Adams, told participants at the opening of the forum that several benefitting companies had taken advantage of the patronage to expand their operations and improve their expertise and financial strength.
“Shell companies execute a large proportion of their activities through contracts with third parties, and Nigeria-registered companies have been key beneficiaries of this policy aimed at powering Nigeria’s progress,” Fadahunsi said.
He commended the Nigeria Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) for ensuring compliance with the Nigerian Content Act.
Shell companies execute a large proportion of their activities through contracts with third parties, and Nigeria-registered companies have been key beneficiaries of this policy aimed at powering Nigeria’s progress.
Human capital development
In addition to contract awards, Shell companies have implemented projects under the Human Capital Development Fund, including the Niger Delta University learning centre and digital library project and the Federal University of Technology Information Technology Hub.
Both projects were inaugurated this year, in collaboration with SPDC Joint Venture partners – Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), TotalEnergies and Nigeria Agip Oil Company Limited (NAOC).
Other projects include the University of Lagos Geosciences Centre of Excellence, Nigeria Diving School and funding of ongoing research at the University of Ibadan to develop a synthetic-based drilling fluid.
Shell Companies in Nigeria also continue to develop indigenous manpower through scholarship programmes with over 3,772 undergraduate and 109 Niger Delta Post Graduate scholarships since 2016.
Mr. Fadahunsi added: “As we speak, beneficiaries of the 13th edition of the Niger Delta Post Graduate Scholarship awards are pursuing their studies in the United Kingdom.
“The employability rate of the scheme is high with over 98% of the graduates who won the awards securing employment in the oil and gas industry, academia and Information Technology, among other sectors, within one year of completing their studies.
Nigerian content will continue to be an important part of Shell operations.”
