TheCable

Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, chair of the senate committee on local content, says the panel will create a database of artisans for government contractors to recruit from. 

Akpoti-Uduaghan spoke on Thursday when her committee met with Samuel Ogbuku, managing director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

The Kogi senator commended a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the NDDC and Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited to develop local content.

The senator said the pact and the database of artisans, which would be created by her committee, would address unemployment in the country.

“NDDC should consider being the primary recruiters of their trained workforce,” Arogbonlo Israel, media aide of the senator, quoted her as saying.

“Artisans or skilled professionals such as ICT workers can be absorbed by NDDC contractors, which in turn will enable the commission to reach the most vulnerable and neglected youth.

“Local content committee intends to deploy innovative thinking for positive results, thus, we are building a database of carefully profiled artisans who have been trained by NDDC, SMEDAN, etc and work modalities to have the oil and gas companies, as well as government contractors, recruit from the pool of verified workforce.

“This would help curb unemployment by keeping the jobs locally.

“Such a project would also help the local content board, NDDC and other agencies monitor and evaluate the performance of our collective capacity-building efforts towards achieving a common microeconomic growth for Nigeria and Africa at large.”

On his part, the NDDC MD said he would work with the committee to ensure jobs are created for the unemployed, through the contracts his commission would award.