Nigerian Ministers, industry leaders, stakeholders in the oil and gas industry, and members of both chambers of the National Assembly have been confirmed to be in attendance at the 2024 edition of the annual Practical Nigerian Content (PNC) Conference and Exhibition slated for the first week of December at the Nigerian Content Tower, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
The theme of the event is “Deepening the Next Frontier for Nigerian Content Implementation”.
A statement from the Directorate of Corporate Communications and Zonal Coordination of the Nigerian Content Development Management Board (NCDMB) made available to newsmen says that the annual conference and exhibition is a signature event hosted by the Board in partnership with DMG Events.
According to the statement, the 2024 edition of the event will commence today, with a golf tourney at the Henry Seriake Golf and Country Club, Yenagoa and a welcome reception in the evening to be hosted by Coleman Wires and Cables at the newly opened Best Western Hotel, Swali, Yenagoa.
The Tide was also informed that the formal opening ceremony will begin at 9am tomorow with speeches by the Executive Secretary of the NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe.
Goodwill messages, according to the Board’s statement, would be delivered by the Chief Executive, Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Engr. Gbenga Komolafe, the Chief Executive, Nigerian Midstream & Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Engr. Farouk Ahmed, and the Group Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd, Mr. Mele Kolo Kyari.
Other top officials slated to speak at the 2024 PNC opening ceremony are the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo, and their counterpart from the Ministry of Power, Mr. Adebayo Adelabu.
The Chairman, Senate Committee on Local Content, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring, Honourable  Boma Goodhead, are also billed to speak at the opening day.
The first panel discussion will analyse “The Next Frontier for Nigerian Content: Divestments and Offshore Opportunities”, and the cast will include the Director, Project Certification and Authorisation, NCDMB, Engr. Abayomi Bamidele, alongside the Chairman, Chevron Nigeria, Mr. Jim Swartz, the Executive Director, TotalEnergies E&P Nigeria, Mr. Obi Imemba, the Group Chief Executive, Oando PLC, Mr. Wale Tinubu, and the Managing Director, Aradel Holdings, Engr. Adegbite Falade.
The second panel will discuss “Evaluating Financial Strategies for Increased Local Content Implementation”.
Some of the discussants will include l; the Secretary General, African Petroleum Producers’ Organisation (APPO), Dr. Omar Farouk Ibrahim; the Managing Director, Bank of Industry (BOI), Dr. Olasupo Olusi; and the Director, Finance & Personnel Management, NCDMB, Ifeanyi Ukoha.
While the second day of the conference will also feature panel discussions on topical industry issues as “Nigerian Content Beyond Borders”, “Nigerian Content from the Grass Roots: Community Capacity Development”, and “From Policy to Practice: Strengthening Domestication for Economic Development”.
Major highlights of the 2024 PNC will include the unveiling of new operational policies by the NCDMB and exhibition of projects and capacities by international and indigenous operating and service oil and gas companies.
Delegates attending this year’s event can also look forward to the gala dinners to be hosted by the Bayelsa State Government on Tuesday, and by the Nigeria LNG Ltd on Wednesday, in addition to the site visit on Thursday morning to the logistics base of First Marine and Engineering Services Ltd located at Swali, Yenagoa.

By: Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) has identified poor corporate governance, transparency and efficiency as affecting operations in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
The company, therefore, said it has become imperative for upstream stakeholders in the nation’s oil and gas industry to strengthen their corporate governance structure.
Executive Vice President (EVP), Upstream, Udobong Ntia, made the remark while speaking at the Upstream Governance, Risk and Compliance Workshop, themed: “Enhancing Governance, Risk and Compliance in Nigeria’s Upstream Sector” in Lagos.
Corporate governance challenges in the nation’s oil sector are multifaceted and complex and one major issue is the lack of transparency and accountability in the operations of oil companies, particularly Multinational Corporations (MNCs), the Company observed.
Ntia emphasised that governance, risk management, and compliance were at the heart of NNPC’s ‘core values of integrity, excellence and sustainability’.
The Executive Vice President commended the upstream leadership and regulators for supporting the initiative to assemble stakeholders to discuss issues that have a bearing on individual and collective success towards attaining the clear mandate of sustainably ramping up the nation’s crude oil production.
He also reiterated his readiness to provide enablers within his purview that would accelerate the implementation of initiatives that would enhance governance, risk management and compliance in the upstream sub-sector.
A statement by the Chief Corporate Communications Officer of the company, Olufemi Soneye, said the workshop had in attendance NNPC’s Chief Compliance Officer, Nasir Usman and NNPC’s Chief Upstream Investment Officer, Bala Wunti.
It was also attended by representatives of industry regulators such as the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC); the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), and over 20 upstream operators from International Oil Companies (IOCs) in Nigeria.

The Port Harcourt Refinery Company (PHRC) is yet to begin bulk sales of its products as essential processes are still being finalised.
Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Olufemi Soneye, made this known in a statement, Friday.
Soneye stated that the products currently sold by the refinery originated from the Dangote Refinery, adding that it included applicable fees by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
The statement said “products from PHRC are exclusively for our retail stores at this stage. Our pricing is reviewed and adjusted periodically as necessary to reflect operationl realities”.
NNPCL further urged the public to disregard any misleading information regarding pricing, stating that official announcement would be made if and when price reviews occur.
Meanwhile, activities of the refinery have been put on hold. This comes barely three days after the grand commissioning of the refinery at the Area 5 Terminal, last Tuesday.
The Tide gathered that the halted operations were due largely to a sabotage on the pipeline supplying products to the refinery.
However, “there is a temporary repair of the pipeline”, The Tide’s source revealed.
Some workers on site attributed the cessation to meter calibration activities which they said would last within a short while.

By: Lady Godknows Ogbulu