NCDMB pledges space for women at industrial parks
Sopuruchi Onwuka
The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has declared that its industrial parks currently under development stages will hold special slots for women enterpreneurs in technical services, manufacuting and energy related businesses.
The agency which is responsible for domiciliation and domestication of petroleum industry productivity in the Nigerian economy declared in Lagos that some of the industrial parks under the scheme would soon be commissioned to provide the much needed infrastructural and facility haven for manufacturing and allied industries in the country.
Executive Secreatry, Engr Simbi Wabote, declared at a conference hosted for women in the petroleum industry that the Oil and Gas Industrial Parks in Bayelsa State and Cross River state are getting ready for completion and will commence operations in 2023.
The Oracle Today reports that the industrial parks conceived as part of the concerted efforts to improve the operating environment for manufacturing ventures that seek to produce oil and gas facility and sundry components to displace imported ones is driving the government’s policy on ease of doing business.
The parks are also to form resource valorisation centres by pooling companies into industrial clusters to build a formidable market for players in the gas to power value chain. The concept would also guarantee stable environment for companies in proximate locations to share facilities, infrastructure and services.
Besides, the industrial parks when in full operations will form the landing ports for imported technology, global industry expertise, service domiciliation, foreign direct investments and capital.
For the domestic economy, the industrial parks are expected to accelerate growth of the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP), create employment for all grades of professionals, generate ancillary business opportunities, displace significant volume of imported goods and improve the country’s balance of payment.
Engr Wabote told delegates at the event anchored by the Women In Energy Network (WIEN) and other affiliate groups that women producers would be afforded huge opportunity in the allocation of spaces at the industrial parks which are conceived to eliminate all barriers and provide cradle shield for business start-ups in the technical services, manufacturing and energy production sectors of the economy.
He told them that NCDMB has begun receiving applications for allocation of plots to set up manufacturing outfits in the park and encouraged women-owned businesses with workable proposals to apply. He assured them of special consideration as part of the board’s commitment to mainstream women into the oil and gas industry.
Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, who flagged off the summit commended the NCDMB for inaugurating the Diversity Sectorial Working Group under the NCCF as provided in Section 58 of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act.
He urged the women to use the forum to generate the required capacity and fill the yawning equilibrium gaps between the 48 percent male global labour force and the 22 percent female labour force in the petroleum industruy.
Quoting a recent study by Global Energy Talent Index, the Minister said women occupy about 50 percent of non-technical positions at entry-level compared to only 15 percent of technical and field role positions, hinting that gender diversity and inclusion decreases with seniority, with only a tiny proportion of women in executive positions.
“The percentage of women in the industry drops from 36 percent to 24 percent between the middle and executive level,” he noted.
He confirmed that the Nigerian government has been deliberate in introducing gender-friendly policies aimed at increasing access to funding, award of contracts and support for research and development in the interest of women operators in the Nigerian oil and gas industry.
The Minister harped on the need to be deliberate in getting more girls into Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), which is a pathway to careers in the oil and gas industry.
He also advised women in the Nigerian Oil and Gas industry to work together towards increasing participation of fellow women in the industry by engendering growth, building capacities and capabilities, identifying opportunities, mentoring and coaching.
In her goodwill message, the Chairperson NNPC Board, Senator Margery Chuba-Okadigbo challenged the NCDMB to institute a development programme like the Project 100 for oil and gas firms owned by women.
She said the implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) provides a good opportunity to mainstream more women in oil and gas activities.
She also recommended formal mentorship and role modelling for younger women coming up in the oil and gas industry.
