The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) says encouraging the participation of Nigerians in the oil and gas sector remains relevant in the global push for cleaner energy.
Mr Patrick Obah, Director, Research, Planning and Statistics at NCDMB stated this at a capacity building workshop for media stakeholders in Port Harcourt on Wednesday.
Obah who represented Mr Simbi Wabote, Executive Secretary of the NCDMB at the workshop observed that the choice of gas as Nigeria’s transition energy source was a patriotic one.
He noted that oil and gas would remain a dominant source of energy before the 2060 target date for zero carbon emissions.
Obah added that opportunities abound for indigenous investors as international investors continued to restrain themselves from new investments in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
He observed that the quest for alternative and cleaner energy sources was not new as the clamour had been there since the era of use of coal as energy source.
He stated that in spite of the obvious advantage of oil over coal, most developed countries still ran coal-fired power plants.
Obah stressed that it was in Nigeria’s strategic interests to develop its abundant energy resources, especially gas.
He said the NCDMB was pioneering a new era in promoting market and demand-driven research domiciled in Nigeria.
He said the Board had started the deployment of the 50 million dollars which it set aside for research and development, adding that some of the search products were nearing commercialisation.
In his address of welcome, Dr Ginah Ginah, General Manager, Corporate Communications and Zonal Coordinator, NCDMB enlisted the support of the media for Nigeria Content Act 2010.
He urged the media to assume the role of whistle-blowers as they engage in investigative journalism to spotlight any breach of the Nigerian Content Law.
Prof Aniefiok Udo-Udo, a resource person, who spoke on “Retooling competencies for the changing media landscape’’, urged journalists to acquaint themselves with requisite skills for media convergence.
Udo-Udo, Head, Department of Linguistics and Communications at the University of Port Harcourt observed that the journalist is an indispensable part of society on whom everyone depended for enlightenment.
He said that the responsibility of the journalist was enormous and so, they must constantly learn to be in a position to inform the world.
The academic traced the impact of technology on journalism from the invention of printing till date and noted that over time, advancements in technology had presented challenges for media practitioners.
In his presentation, Prof Chijioke Nwaozuzu, Director, Emerald Institute, University of Port Harcourt, observed that the Petroleum Industry Act is a good starting point to move the Nigerian oil and gas sector forward.
According to him, the most important factor is to hope that the legislation would.
The theme of the workshop is: Sustaining Nigerian content amidst shifting energy landscape: The role of the media.
