President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday virtually commissioned the 17-story Nigerian Content Tower in Bayelsa.

The tower is a project of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and will serve as its headquarters.

President Buhari, in a speech broadcast via Zoom from the State House in Abuja, described the commissioning of the tower as a “historic moment”.

“I am pleased that the project has been delivered by local contractors, supported by local engineers and project consultants,” the President said. “We must all be proud that we finished what we started.”

He then mandated the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, to physically commission the building on his behalf.

Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, also delivered a speech at the commissioning.

The NCDMB building comes with its own 10-Megawatt gas-fired power plant and a 1,000 seater conference hall.

President Buhari also commissioned the power plant which, according to the NCDMB, was built in partnership with the Nigerian Agip Oil Company.

Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed and Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, also attended the commissioning virtually.

The NCDMB was established by the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act which came into effect on April 22, 2010.

A Win For Local Content

President Buhari, in his Thursday speech, said the NCDMB building was a signpost for the importance of local content in the country.

‘‘With the commissioning of this project, I want to highlight that we have put in place a landmark of reference in the Niger Delta to reflect long-lasting legacies that signpost the years of oil and gas exploitation and I assure you that there is more to come,’’ he said.

‘‘This commissioning brings to the fore the importance of local content in all activities of our national life, especially with the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic.

The President added that he strongly believes in local production and patronage of Nigerian goods and services as one of the surest ways to empower citizens.

‘‘That is why two of the Executive Orders issued under our government are related to enforcing local content in public procurement and contracts to further replicate the successes being realized in the oil and gas industry,” he said.

‘‘Local Content and Self Reliance are key principles of the recently approved 2.3 trillion Naira National Economic Sustainability Plan. The plan is aimed at the promotion of local production, local services, local innovation, and the use of local materials.” (Channels TV)

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