President Muhammadu Buhari has pledged to spend more on infrastructure across the country.
Speaking on Thursday in Abuja at the virtual inauguration of the new building of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Buhari said he is focusing on finishing projects delivered by local contractors and technology that create jobs for thousands of Nigerians.
The 17-storey NCDMB building, known as the Nigerian Content Tower, is located in Yenagoa, Bayelsa state capital.
In a statement by Femi Adesina, presidential spokesperson, Buhari said the project reflects his administration’s drive to provide infrastructure across the country to attract investments, create jobs and eradicate poverty.
“With the commissioning of this project, I want to highlight that we have put in place a landmark of reference in the Niger Delta to reflect long lasting legacies that signpost the years of oil and gas exploitation and I assure you that there is more to come,’’ the president said.
“This commissioning brings to the fore the importance of local content in all activities of our national life especially with the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic.
“I believe strongly in local production and patronage of our goods and services as one of the surest ways to empower our citizens and give them viable opportunities to excel in their chosen professions and business endeavours.
“That is why two of the Executive Orders issued under our government are related to enforcing local content in public procurement and contracts to further replicate the successes being realized in the oil and gas industry.
“The edifice we are commissioning today is a befitting birthday gift as you mark your 10th-year anniversary as a regulator and developer of local content in the oil and gas industry.
“I am also pleased that this project has been delivered by local contractors supported by other local engineering and project consultants. We must all be proud that we finished what we started.”