Senator representing Kogi Central senatorial district, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has lauded the recent collaboration between the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) aimed at fostering local content capacity.
The partnership, marked by a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing, seeks to harness shared objectives and collaborate across various sectors to facilitate sustainable development projects in the Niger Delta region.
During an interactive session between the Senate Committee on Local Content and NDDC Managing Director, Samuel Ogbuku, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan emphasized the necessity for NDDC to prioritize employing its trained workforce for efficient service delivery.
In her capacity as the Chairman of the Local Content Committee, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan urged NDDC not only to equip and build capacity within its workforce but also to actively engage them for optimum productivity.
She advocated for NDDC to become the primary employer of its trained workforce, suggesting that artisans and skilled professionals, including ICT workers, could be absorbed by NDDC contractors. Such a move, she argued, would enable the commission to reach marginalized youths effectively.
She further pledged support in collaborating with NDDC to create a comprehensive database of artisans across Nigeria, aiming to bolster the workforce and drive microeconomic growth within the country.
Expressing her committee’s innovative approach, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan detailed plans to profile artisans trained by NDDC, SMEDAN, and similar agencies, envisioning collaboration with oil and gas companies and government contractors to recruit from this pool of skilled workers. This initiative, she stressed, would help mitigate unemployment while keeping jobs within the local sphere.
Responding, the NDDC Managing Director acknowledged Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suggestions and expressed eagerness to work closely with the Local Content Committee. He looks forward to devising strategies that involve engaging the trained workforce for numerous employment opportunities, furthering the objectives of the collaboration between NDDC and NLNG.
