Local Content: Agip trains indigenous vendors, contractors on capacity development

To build business capacity, and strengthen its corporate social responsibility, the Nigerian Agip Oil Company Limited (NAOC), a subsidiary of the Eni Group, said it had trained about 370 local vendors and over 150 indigenous contractors since 2016.
The Vice Chairman and Managing Director of the outfit, Massimo Insulla, who disclosed this, said part of the training, also included business succession planning for the contractors and vendors.
Insulla made the disclosure while declaring open a two-day Business Leadership Workshop, attended by hundreds of business executives in oil and gas industry, in Owerri, capital of Imo State, on Wednesday.
He said the inspirational business excellence programme is essentially to sharpen the business skills of the participants from the South East and South South and other Niger Delta states, where the company operates, on ways of having quantum leap in the business world.
His words: ‘’As part of our Capacity Development Initiatives, we had concentrated on Vendors Development Programm (a total of 360 vendors trained), Vendors upgrade, Awareness and Sensitisation Engagement (Cumulative of 370 vendors trained), as well as Vendors exhibition, Gap closure and opportunities engagement. We diversified into other areas of development.”
specifically, we focussed on developing and building capacities in the areas of Small and Medium businesses and Community Content. Over 150 indigenous contractors were trained in Business Leadership skills and Succession Planning last year, while about 60 wholly owned Nigerian Companies exhibited at the Indigenous Technology Forum and exhibition which attracted over 120 participants.’’
Participants included the General Manager of Nigeria Content Division of Agip, Barry Nwibiani; a representative of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Frank Jacobs; General Manager, External Relations of Oando, Kofo Tunji Olagunju; and the Director of Planning, Research and Statistics, Nigerian Content Development Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Patrick Daziba Obah. Others were the monarch of Nekede autonomous community, Eze Stephen Agumanu, represented by his palace secretary, Nze Uchechukwu Onyeneke, and other industry operators.
According to Insulla, Eni will continue to respect all the Nigerian laws and guidelines with regards to procurement process in the award of contracts. ‘’We an energy company; we are working to build a future where everyone can access energy resources efficiently and sustainably.’’
He added that Eni’s priority would remain passion for innovation and unique strengths and skills on the quality of people in all aspects of its operations; believing in sound and long term partnership and relationship with the host countries and communities.
He disclosed that Eni had ventured into marine initiatives, such as ongoing construction of Marine laboratory with three workshops, simulation rooms, meeting and office rooms, and Engineering department, located in Port Harcourt. He said there were also mandatory practical sea time experiences for cadets, among others.
On youth development programmes, Insulla disclosed that 250 youths from the Niger Delta were undergoing training on Seafaring and marine engineering assistants and quartermasters. Others are On the Job Training (OJT) and geoscientists training programme.
He urged the participants to explore the opportunity and have facility tours to reputable companies in Imo, where the footprints of the oil outfit is known.Also speaking, Nwibiani, said the choice of the business workshop was strategic to improve business understanding of profit and loss, and ways to improve, urging effective use of the opportunity.
On his part, the Chief Executive Officer, Oando Energy Resources, Olapade Durotoye, said the NCDMB has made enormous contributions to increase the dwindling percentage of Nigerian content issues, while noting the contributions of Oando to the oil industry.