The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Mr. Simbi Wabote has lauded Caverton Offshore Support Group on its effort towards being a fully integrated offshore support company in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Wabote spoke through the general manager, project certification and authorization division, (PCAD), Mr. Paul Zuhumben during an inspection visit to the Caverton Boat Fabrication Yard in Ajah, Etiosa local government area of Lagos State.
The ES expressed delight in the company’s achievements, especially in the direction of capacity building to create in-country value and job opportunities for Nigerians.
He also extolled Caverton Marine for its industry best practice through its certification and classification by Bureau Veritas, which is exactly the direction the Board is pushing for.
He enumerated some of the targets of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) 2010 which are to promote value addition and develop sectorial linkages to the national economy and stimulate growth and industrial development.
The NCDMB boss hinted that the impact of the Act includes leveraging on specialized indigenous skills from the petroleum industry to ancillary sectors of the economy such as shipping operations, boat building and seafaring.                                      Â
He also commended the company’s staff participation in the boat fabrication facility, which shows technology transfer, advising the company to go into research and development to be able to source its raw materials in Nigeria, to increase in-country spend in terms of direct and indirect employment in support of the Board’s vision.
Wabote further noted that the key essence of the marine vessel categorization scheme was to identify Nigerians with genuine titles to vessels. The scheme, he said, had become successful as over 40% of marine vessels operating in the oil and gas industry are now owned by Nigerians.
The Board has set out local content targets that must be met to sustain the job creation drive of the federal government. The Board will continue to partner with critical stakeholders for the development and industrialization of Nigeria.
In his remarks, the chief operating officer of Caverton Marine Limited, Mr. Rotimi Makanjuola disclosed that the company is a huge beneficiary of local content development. He commended the Board for putting policies on ground for Nigerian companies to reach their potentials and compete internationally.
He said his company takes standardization seriously and is ready to take its quality assurance to the highest level. According to him, the Caverton prototype Waterbus is a very good product, stressing that the firm remains committed to developing local capacity.
He also mentioned the company’s community content policy stating that the company has met with the community leaders and the local government, and has assured them that once expansion starts, members of the community will be trained and absorbed as a way of giving back to the community.
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