Odukpani Oil & Gas Park: Relationship with our host community great — NCDMB

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board has said that its host community in Odukani, Cross River State at its Nigerian Oil and Gas Park Scheme site is cordial.

NCDMB General Manager, Corporate Communications and Zonal Coordination Division, Ginah O. Ginah, said this.

Ginah spoke on Thursday during a media tour of the Park.

The facilities at the park, which is sitting on 25 hectares of land, are at various levels of completion.

Ginah, who revealed that interested companies have been sending applications to secure spaces at the park, said provisions have been made for the host community to ensure indigenes are carried along properly in line with the Community Guideline Content developed by the NCDMB.

According to him, the Odukpani Park is already supplying the host community with clean water.

Other benefits due to the host community include employment opportunities, training for unskilled and semi-skilled indigenes, capacity building as well as scholarship programmes.

The Odukpani Park and the one in Bayelsa State are being developed in conjunction with key International Oil Companies and geared towards achieving full industrialisation.

The parks would incubate the manufacturing of equipment components utilised in the oil and gas industry.

To encourage companies to move into the Park, Dr. Ginah said the Federal Government recently approved a $50 million fund for the Nigerian Oil and Gas Parks Scheme product manufacturing line.

According to the General Manager, arrangements have been made to ensure seamless operations by providing adequate security made up of combined team of mobile policemen and local security men.

Speaking about the facilities at the park, the Site Engineer, Adebayo Sunday, said the Administrative block, which houses a banking hall, restaurant and sick bay, is 100 per cent complete.

The capacity building block is also fully ready.

It has an auditorium that sits 200 people with six classrooms for training purposes.

Other facilities include state-of-the-art Information Technology Centre, hostels, water treatment building, recreation area, helipad, maintenance building, fire service, security gate house and mini parks.

The NCDMB is also working to develop oil and gas parks at Oguta in Imo State; Onne in Akwa Ibom State; Ilaje in Ondo State; and in Delta State.