The Niger Delta Youths Coalition for Peace and Progress (NDYCPP) on Tuesday said the group is collaborating with oil industry leadership to ensure the participation of youths in the NLNG Train 7.

Mr Chris Jumbo, Chairman, NDYCPP Organising Committee said in Yenagoa that arrangements have been concluded to hold a forum of stakeholders on the NLNG Train-7 in Bonny, on Nov 24.

He said that Dr Ibe Kachikwu, Minister of State for Petroleum, would lead other industry chiefs to the event.

According to him, Mr Simbi Wabote, Executive Secretary, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDM), Prof. Charles Dokubo, Special Adviser to the President and Amnesty Coordinator will be at the forum.

NLNG Train-7 is a gas production expansion project valued at over $7 billion by the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited (NLNG) located in Bonny Island in Rivers.

Jumbo explained that NDYCPP was engaging other organisations in building the capacity of host communities to participate meaningfully in the business activities to be created by the project.

He said that the group was liaising with entrepreneurs and young business owners and sensitising them of the opportunities in the NLNG Train 7 to ensure that host communities derive economic benefits from the project.

According to him, the expansion project would have a positive economic impact and boost the Nigerian Content drive of the Federal Government if host communities are factored into the project at the planning stage.

He said that the involvement a host communities in the project would further enhance peace and security as the people who have business ties would do everything to ensure that the project survives.

Jumbo said: “We are encouraged by the resolve of the Federal Government to ensure that sizeable portions of the NLNG Train 7 project is done by Nigerians where there is capacity and the NCDMB has insisted that Nigerian Content is not negotiable.

“We are therefore leveraging on this policy of the MCDMB to bring communities hosting the project, regional players to showcase existing capacities and build new ones to reduce the dominance of foreigners.

“From Trains 1-6, local participation did not go beyond the construction phase, but what we are hoping to do is to fill the identified skills gap and prepare beyond Train-7, so the workshop can also be for Train 7 plus.

“We in NDYCPP have been making efforts to sensitise our people who have expertise in several aspects of the oil and gas sector on the big opportunity before us in the Train-7 project.

“There is so much 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 skills base so that they fit in.

“We are collaborating with the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited to host a business opportunity roundtable for stakeholders in the NLNG Train 7.

“The Managing Director of NLNG will be playing host Gov Nyesom Nwike of Rivers, other Managing Directors of many International Oil Companies participating in the project to the summit to be held in Bonny Island in Rivers.

“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 solution in a project like this.

“We are encouraged by the policy thrust of NCDMB to use the project to push up the Nigerian Content further to its target from 30 per cent to 70 percent between 2017 and 2027.

“This feat is achievable if we harness the existing capacity and match it with opportunities, so in working closely with NCDMB, we 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.”

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