Delta Local Content Act Will Boost Capacity of Citizens-Idiovwa

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The DG, Delta State Local Content Agency, Dr. Morris Idiovwa, (clad in white) in a group photograph with members of the agency and journalists after the press briefing

By Great Maduawulechukwu-Warri

The Director General of the newly established Delta State Local Content Agency, Dr Morris Idiovwa, has said that the agency domesticated by the State Government, will help in improving capacity of indigenes and residents alike towards making them competitively relevant in the competitive global village

He added that the State Government decided to domicile the agency to enhance the industrialization drive of the state Governor, Senator Dr Ifeanyi Okowa in his determination towards providing enabling environment for business to thrive.

Idiovwa, made this clarification during a press briefing held at the Government House, Annex, Warri, Delta State, noted that his agency will leave no stone unturned at ensuring that it will be a win win situation for all stakeholders in the state.

According to Idiovwa, “the Agency was created on the 15 day of September, 2020 pursuant to the DELTA STATE LOCAL CONTENT AGENCY LAW, 2020,” with sole aim of providing a veritable platform for economic growth of the state while maximising the potentials that abound.

He outlined the functions of the agency to include aiding local indigenous companies to exploit local opportunities while staying competitive and also organizing specialized programs and training for entrepreneurship development, including start-up, establishment and economic empowerment of community contractors and workers.

Other functions of the agency according to Idiovwa are; “To coordinate and embark on programs to increase indigenous Local Content in the operation of companies in Delta State. To facilitate the provision of local content jobs and project partnership through a network of local, national and international organizations and agencies, as well as private sector bodies, community-based and civil society organizations in the State ”

“To monitor and ensure compliance with the terms of any Memorandum of Understanding, General Memorandum of Understanding and Agreements executed between Companies and host and impacted communities within the State.”

Idiovwa also noted that the establishment of the agency became imperative due to the coastal nature of the state which plays host to several extractive industries.

While fielding questions from journalists present at the brief ceremony, Dr Idiovwa assured local contractors in the state that the agency will partner with them and other critical stakeholders to ensure that they were not shortchanged in anyway.

“The purpose why the Delta State Government domesticated the local Content act is to manage the operations and employment of not just the IOCs but also other companies and contractors working in rural communities in the state,” Idiovwa said.

He said the agency has designed a plethora of activities that they will soon begin to roll out which according to him will be beneficial to both the IOCs and the local communities.

On the relocation of headquarters of IOCs to the Niger Delta region, Idiovwa noted that the region has to first of all put it’s house in order before the IOCs will think of relocating.

“We must be ready to effect the changes that we want. We need to stabilize the region in terms of security. No company will want to do business where there is no security. We should fix security issues before we ask the IOCs to relocate their headquarters to the Niger Delta region,” Idiovwa said.

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