Media
Wabote Receives African Local Content Icon Award
From Tayese Mike, Yenagoa
The Executive Secretary of Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Engr. Simbi Kesiye Wabote has said that African countries do not necessarily need to be Oil Producing before they practiced Local Content.
He said local content was the best way to go in Nigeria and the African continent, saying it was much cheaper to drive local content by doing most of their things locally.
Wabote handed down the advice this during an award presented to him by African Leadership Magazine based in UK as African Local Content Icon Award at the conference Hall of the NCDMB Tower in Yenagoa.
According to him, due to the effort of the NCDMB under his leadership, over 90 per cent staff of NLNG were Nigerians and most of the International Oil Companies management staff were also Nigerians because of the way they promoted local content.
He said because of too much reliance on importation duty and other taxes, there was no value derived from local content by previous administrations.
Wabote was first appointed as the Executive Secretary of NCDMB by President Muhammadu Buhari on September 29, 2016 and was reappointed for second term on September 25, 2020 after his sterling performance in his first term.
In his first four years as the Executive Secretary, he reinvigorated the operations of the NCDMB and developed the Nigerian content 10 year – Roadmap to grow Nigerian content to 70 percent by 2027.
He also spearheaded the rapid development of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Park in Odukpani, Cross Rivers state and Emeyal-1, Bayelsa state and the launch of $200m (USD) Nigerian Content Intervention Fund to provide low cost and accessible credit to service companies.
Under his watch, NCDMB catalyzed the successful integration of one of the largest Floating Production Storage and Offloading(FPSO) in-country at the SHI-MCI yard in the Ladol Free Trade Zone and facilitated in-country integration of six modules on the Egina FPSO, the first time in the Gulf Guinea.
He facilitated speedy approvals for the US$10m NLNG Train 7 project and the signing of the contract in the middle of COVID-19 pandemic, to create 12,000 jobs and domicile 55 percent of the project in the country.
Wabote championed the NCDMB’s equity investment in four modular refineries, Waltersmith’s 5000 barrels per day facility, Azikel Petroleum’s 12,000 barrels per day, Hydroskimming modular refinery, Atlantic International Refinery’s 2000 barrels plants and Duport Midstream’s 2,500bpd modular refinery.
In his earlier remark, the Managing editor of African Leadership Magazine, Mr. Kingsely Okeke, said its an Institution that promote Pan Africanism.
He said they partnered to promote good governance, good leadership, to identify with worthy causes amongst others.
According to Kingsely, theMagazine deliberately published positive stories about African continent, saying they also organised conferences and workshops to develop capacity of Africans.
He said, three processes were involved in selecting the African Leadership Award, which includes nominations across the continent and after all the processes 105 emerged and was reduced to three but Engr. Simbi Wabote emerged as the winner of the African Local Content Icon Award.
He said the award was in recognition of Wabote’s effort in promoting local content.
The management of the African Leadership Magazine were accompanied by the President Elect of National Black Caucus in Alabama Hon. Laura Haul.
Others who spoke during a goodwill message includes Mr. Patrick Obah who is the Director Research Planning and Statistics(PRS) who spoke on behalf of Top Management Committee, described Engr. Wabote as an intelligent man who believes in team work.
Other speakers include Engr. Paul Zuhumben, who spoke on behalf of the General managers, while Ms Kadijat Yekini and the NCDMB branch of PENGASSAN Mr. Bright Amature spoke on behalf of other staff.
By David Torough, Abuja
OurNigeria Magazine has announced plans for its 2025 OurNigeria Awards Ceremony, an annual event dedicated to celebrating Nigerians whose leadership, service and commitment to national development have made measurable impact across key sectors of the country.
The awards ceremony is scheduled to be held on Saturday, January 31, 2025, at 6:00 p.
m. at the Abuja Continental Hotel in the Federal Capital Territory.In a press conference by the magazine’s editorial board, Chairman of the Editorial Board, Dr. AK Peters, said the awards remain its flagship initiative aimed at promoting excellence, patriotism and positive national values, while recognising individuals whose contributions often go uncelebrated.
The theme for the 2025 edition, “Providing a Podium for the Unsung Hero,” underscores the magazine’s mission to spotlight Nigerians who have demonstrated courage, sacrifice and consistency in nation-building, frequently without commensurate public recognition.
For the 2025 awards, the magazine has selected three distinguished Nigerians for top honours. The Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa, will be honoured as Man of the Year, while Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, emerges as Governor of the Year. Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has also been named Senator of the Year.
The organisers said the honourees were selected after a rigorous editorial assessment process, stakeholder consultations and a review of their leadership records, public service and national influence within the period under review.
The ceremony is expected to bring together key leaders from government, the private sector, civil society, the diplomatic community and the media, with the aim of celebrating exemplary leadership and inspiring renewed commitment to national service.
In addition, the magazine released a draft list of national awardees and special guests ahead of its 7th Our Nigeria News Awards scheduled for 2026. The list includes prominent political leaders, military officers, academics, civil society advocates, entrepreneurs and media professionals who have distinguished themselves in service, leadership and advocacy.
Among those listed are Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo as Minister of the Year, former Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso for a Lifetime Achievement Award in Democratic Leadership, and Dame (Dr.) Adaora Umeoji as Banker of the Year.
Several lifetime achievement and special recognition awards are also slated for figures in scholarship, interfaith dialogue, youth leadership, community service and public service.
The event is expected to feature high-profile dignitaries, including former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan as Distinguished Guest of Honour, former Head of State General Yakubu Gowon as Father of the Day, and retired Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai as Chairman of the Awards.
Our Nigeria Magazine expressed appreciation to its media partners and stakeholders for their continued support in promoting positive Nigerian narratives and fostering a culture of excellence and accountability.
From Joseph Amedu, Lokoja
Practicing Journalists in Kogi state have expressed readiness to partner with the State Internal Revenue Service on tax administration enlightenment and adequate publicity of its activities.
Chairman, Correspondents’ Chapel, Kogi State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Segun Salami, gave the indication when he led his members on a visit to the Executive Chairman of KGIRS, Alhaji Salihu Sule Enehe.
Salami promised a robust collaboration with the agency in creation of public awareness on the need for all taxable citizens to embrace prompt payment of their personal income taxes.
“Our task as journalists is to assist the agency in meeting up with its target of revenue generation for Kogi government through our social responsibility duty of enlightening the people to key into regular and prompt payment of their taxes as when due
“Journalists also owe it as a duty to alert citizens on the need to contribute their quota towards the development of their state and the nation in general by meeting up with their financial commitment on prompt tax payment”
Salami advocated for quarterly media interaction with the agency as part of the partnership move in publicising its activities.
He commended the Executive Chairman and his management team for the resouding success so far recorded in generating more revenue for the state government to provide the needed democracy dividends to the people.
Responding, the Executive Chairman of the Kogi State Internal Revenue Service, Alhaji Salihu Sule Enehe, expressed delight over the prevailing cordial relationship between his angency and practicing Journalists in Kogi since assumption of office.
He promised to sustain the feat in the interest of both parties geared towards achieving accelerated transformation of Kogi.
Enehe also gave an assurance that he would live above board under the partnership agreement which according to him would go a long way in improving the agency’s services of mobilizing resources for the development of the state.
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