Warri – The development of Nigerian content remains critical to the nation’s progress in acquiring oil and gas technology and building indigenous capacity.
According to Jim Swartz, Chairman and Managing Director of Chevron Nigeria and Mid-Africa Business Unit. Swartz made these remarks during a panel session titled “The Next Frontier for Nigerian Content: Divestments & Offshore Opportunities,” at the 2024 Practical Nigerian Content Forum organized by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, from December 2 to 5, 2024.
Swartz emphasized the importance of partnerships in advancing the oil and gas industry, stating that stakeholders must actively prioritize Nigerian content development to enhance local capacity. He noted that Chevron’s business strategy aligns with this vision, aiming to deliver affordable, reliable, and lower-carbon energy while fostering progress and prosperity in communities where the company operates.
“Our strategy is to leverage our strengths to safely deliver lower-carbon energy to a growing world,” Swartz said. “Our primary objective is to deliver higher returns, lower carbon, and superior stakeholder value in any business environment.”
Highlighting Chevron’s six-decade presence in Nigeria, Swartz underscored the company’s commitment to harnessing opportunities in the oil and gas sector to drive economic growth, supported by appropriate government legislation, policies, and regulations.
“Chevron’s Nigerian Content policy seeks to foster competence and competitiveness among local contractors and suppliers through a participatory-partnership model,” he remarked.
Swartz revealed that Chevron implemented its Local/Nigerian Content development philosophy as early as 1999, predating the 2010 enactment of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act. He detailed the company’s contributions to socio-economic development, including skills acquisition programs, procurement opportunities, technical support, and research collaborations for local contractors.
“In the last decade, Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) has spent an estimated $1 billion annually on Nigerian suppliers and service providers. We do this not because we are compelled to, but because it is the right thing to do,” Swartz said.
He reaffirmed Chevron’s commitment to partnering with the NCDMB to boost local capacities in the oil and gas industry, pledging continued support for initiatives that strengthen Nigeria’s position in the global energy landscape.
