President Muhammadu Buhari has stressed the importance of local content in all activities of our national life especially with the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic.
Buhari stated this at the virtual inauguration of the new headquarters building of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State on Thursday.
The President said the iconic 17-storey building, known as the Nigerian Content Tower, with the full complements of a 10MW Power Plant and 1000-seater Conference Center, reflects his administration’s drive to provide infrastructure across the country to attract investments, create jobs and eradicate poverty.
‘‘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.
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Buhari used the occasion to express his delight that thousands of direct and indirect jobs were created during the execution of the project in addition to the various business opportunities.
“I believe strongly in local production and patronage of our goods and services as one of the surest ways to empower our citizens and give them viable opportunities to excel in their chosen professions and business endeavors.
‘‘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.
‘‘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,’’ he said.
The President pledged that the present administration will continue to spend more on infrastructure across the country, focusing on finishing projects delivered by local contractors and technology that create jobs for thousands of Nigerians.
The ultra-modern Nigerian Content Tower, whose construction started in 2015, was built by an indigenous company, Megastar Technical & Construction, using mostly locally sourced materials and labour.
The project generated over 250 direct and indirect jobs and created vast opportunities for artisanal skill development.
