admin Former Nigerian president Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan
Former Nigerian President
has won the prestigious Nigerian Content Lifetime Achievement Award at the inaugural Champions of Nigerian Content Awards.
In a brief remark, Dr Goodluck Jonathan recalled how he signed the Nigerian content bill into law in 2010 while he was acting president at a time the Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni used Nigeria as a reference point for underperformance in the utilisation of oil resources.
The former Nigerian leader noted that China’s successful domestication of oil and gas industry activities greatly motivated him, in addition to the role played by Senator Lee Maeba, who represented Rivers State South East Senatorial District in the National Assembly and the role he played to initiate the Nigerian content bill.
Dr Jonathan expressed gratitude to the NCDMB for the success of the Nigerian content initiative and the role played by past and present leaders of the Nigerian Content Development Management Board (NCDMB) for turning the vision behind the Act into reality.
In his address at the occasion, the Executive Secretary of the NCDMB, Engr Felix Omatsola Ogbe, while highlighting the roles played by various industry players, said “The time has come to identify and celebrate the pillars of the Nigerian content who will serve as shining examples of what is expected from others in the industry.”
The ceremony held at the NCDMB Headquarters in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, saw a lot of corporate organisations and individuals clinching various awards.
The MD of Renaissance Africa Energy, Engr Tony Attah bagged the Nigerian Content Icon of the Year award, the MD of Starzs Investments Company Limited, Irogbama Ogbeifun, won the Women in Leadership Award, while Professor Emenike Ejiogu of the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) emerged as the recipient of Nigeria Content Innovator of the Year award.
Others who were also honoured include Shell Petroleum Development Company (now Renaissance Africa Energy Limited), which won the Nigerian Content International Upstream Operator of the Year award, Aradel, which clinched the “Nigerian Content Independent Upstream Operator of the Year award, Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Ltd, which got the Nigerian Content Midstream Operator of the Year award, while Thisday Newspaper became the winner of the Nigerian Content Media Organisation of the year.
Mr Wole Akinyosoye, a member of the award advisory committee, explained that measurable metrics were used to determine the winners. He added that all winners had to also demonstrate operational consistency where applicable, contribute to enhanced utilisation and monetisation of gas resources as well as improve on local refining capacity and energy security.
Report by Tunde Olaore
