THE EXTENT AT WHICH PEOPLE/CITIZINS ACQUIRE KNOWLEDGE OF TECHNOLOGY



Question: To what extent has Nigerian government been able to assist its citizens to acquire a high skilled knowledge of technology?
            Following the Nigerians desire to compete favourable with the foreign expatriates in the oil and gas industry, it has reasonably  engaged itself in the following attempts towards  becoming a better so as to match with the competing technology globally. Economic experts have agreed that Nigerian is a richly blessed nation both in terms of huge population and its natural resource. Obviously, it is to address and assist its citizens in acquiring high skilled technology that Nigerian government evolved the local content policy for the oil and gas sector with the followings, 45%
local content by 2006 and 70% local content by 2010. Similarly, to drive the process much letter, the Nigerian natural petroleum corporation (NNPC) for short created a content division which resulted in the setting up of the Nigerian content support fund/NSCF with the take off front of US$350n essentially energy the local content initiative was meant to facilitate the transfer of technology, human capital development to foster greater employment of Nigerians to enhance linkage with other sectors with a view to attaining high skilled technology advancement. To descend the level of trained and technical skills imparted by OS adventure can speak much about the country’s attempt towards upgrading its technological manpower development to the able to impact with the foreign expatriates in the oil campaign. It is crystal clear that the risk in the oil and gas industry are enormous and thus involve huge financial outlays and before require some technical capacity to accurately assess them. In fighting with the aforesaid  forth of Nigerian has the sector desired results in the oil sphere.
            Moreover, it is before not a surprise that oil majors have been compelled to patronize local under milters in the long term in the interest of the nation and its citizens which talk about the indigenes concessy programmes which was to retain ownership and control of concessy in Nigeria hands whereby encouraging the forth of local expertise production, development and operates technology wise.
Interestingly, it is to be mandated that the cumulative result of decades of attempts by the government and stakeholders in the petroleum industry to ensure that the industry provides not only local values but also maximized herefits to Nigeria is to the Nigerian oil an gas.  Dusty content development Act. This petroleum act provided among other things. 
The establishment of various resources centers for Nigerians to fish the problem of brain drawn.
It in the system provided developmental training education and support of funds to the teaming participants.
It provided for mandatory employment and training of Nigerians by petroleum operators.
It further provided for technology transfer local content utilization, recruitment and training of Nigeria personnel in various contribute arrangements international oil companies. Six and finally, the Nigerian fort ha established a Nigerian content division made up of NNPC Nigerian foreign based personnel to monitor and give effect to the government plan of enhancing high skilled technology.
On the other hand, the Act in assuming prominence towards realizing its content objectives sees the attempt as a quantum of composite value added to or created in the Nigeria economy by a systematic development of capacity and capabilities through the deliberate utilization of Nigerian human, material resources and services in the Nigerian oil and gas industry. This includes the Nigerian man hours utilized in relation to the duration of project, tonnage, size and volume of certain goods. Additionally, the Nigeria fort through this particular Act has mandated the usage of a minimum percentage of Nigerian labour in specific candres as it may deem fit in the circumstances. Nigeria government through employment and training of its citizens personnel and expatriate quota regulation provided stipulations to the effect that:
1.         Operators must give Nigerian first consideration for employment and training in respect of all projects to be executed. Thus, it mandated the operators to employ only Nigerians in their junior and intermediated candre respectively.
            At this juncture, it is paramount to state before that the forts vision in ensuring that local personnel compete with their foreign expatriates is to transform the oil and gas industry into economic engine for job creation and national growth by developing in country capacity and indigenous capacities. Morestill, it seeks to promote a framework that guarantees active participation of Nigerians in oil and gas activities without compromising standards.
            As practitioners and people with the fore most desire to move forward, the Nigerian government has put up a bill called producers. Forum to usher in a more robust era of sustainable prosperity for the nation and its technology..
            Over time, Nigerian government has drawn the thin line between politics and technology decisions. It is for this popular reason that the bill engendered increased local refining capacities technologically and business wise leading to an affordable and stable price for the Nigerian populace. Furthermore, in a bid by government to a achieve immeasurable result of high level knowledge technology, it has successfully produced Nigerian human technical capacity. Thus,
            In its incorporated joint venture, it opined that all Nigerian employees of equity holding companies in the JVS shall be deeded to be employees of the new IJV with effect from the date of the incorporation of the IJV on terms and conditions no less favourable than those they enjoyed prior to incorporation and that no Nigerian shall lose his/her job as a result of this singular act.
            Aboveall, government’s creation of a platform for amnesty for the Niger Deltans as the host and impacted communities where oil and gas are fund has shown enough wind recognition in the equal participation in learning how to handle certain high skilled technology for advancement purposes Nigerian government has reasonable done although much still needs to be done to enhance better performance in technology and skill acquisition development. Of the basic truth. Is that forts endeavour toward realizing these objectives is evident in its greatness to go on voyage of discovery in numerating the standards so far hammered on. sincerely, Nigerian government has increased investment in science, technology and education. That is why it is always remarked that technological knowledge creates wealth. Thus, prospect of technology for the Nigerian youths are tremendous of course, it appears to suggest that existing arrangements coupled with others to be envisaged will continue to follow the status quo or improve therefore by training more Nigerian citizens who will till skill shortages in the petroleum industry.
            To say the least, Nigerian government has improved in standard of living, upgraded infrastructure unlike what there used to be at the moment, there has been grater percentage of the oil and gas sectors insurance business into the hands of local underwriters, implying that grater percent of the nations workforce is engaged in the petroleum sector under the supervision of foreign expatriates whose link Nigeria operates.
CONCLUSION
The local content policy of the government is a well-though out initiative designed to accelerate the involvement of Nigerians in all-important oil and gas sector. several years after it was evolved, not much has been achieved. Although there are no statistics to validate the extent of compliance to the targets of 45 percent in 2006 and drive towards 70 percent of 2010, the continuous dominance by foreigners of the commanding heights of the sector bear eloquent testimony to the need for urgent actions by the government and regulatory bodies.
OCTOBER 10TH 2009
            The Producer Forum- upstream Sector of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) held its quarterly meeting on the 10/10/09 in Lagos and the issue of the PIB was discussed extensively. The following resolutions were reached on the PIB.
(1)              That the national Assembly should take into cognizance the concerns and interest expressed by the stakeholders in the oil and gas industry before passing the bill into law.
(2)              No Nigeria (whether working in the NNPC Group or in the International Oil Company) shall lose his/her job as a result of this bill and all existing pension plans must be maintained.
(3)              The main stay of the Nigerian economy is the oil and gas business and was over 50 years ago. The forum resolved that oil workers would down tools and resist a bill that will jeopardize the oil and Gas Industry just like the Nigerian Railways line and Nigeria port authority etc.
(4)              All Nigeria employees of equity holding companies in the JVS and PSCs shall be deemed to be employees of the new IJV effect from the date of the incorporation of the IJV on terms and condition no less favourable than those enjoyed pirior to incorporation.
(5)              The new Integrated Joint Ventures (IJV) companies should be allowed full autonomy as exploration and production of oil and gas companies operating in the country. The presence of government controlling major shares would be reduced to usual government establishment where internal policies in appointment of board members and adhering to international code of operating would be compromised.
(6)              That government should involved in the exploration and production of oil and gas business rather than integrating with the Joint Venture.
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