NASS wants local content policy extended to building and construction
…Berates FG for poor budgetary release

 

The nation’s law makers on Thursday push for local content policy currently existing in the oil and gas sector to be extended to the building and construction industry.
This they say will not only generate employment opportunities for Nigerians, but would also save the country huge foreign exchange spent on goods and services already available in the country.
Hon. Beni Lar, Chairperson, House Committee on Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute (NBRRI) yesterday in Otta, Ogun state, says her committee will push for a bill that will ensure a minimum of 60 percent local content in all building projects in the country.
“The local content bill in the oil and gas sector should be extended to the building and construction Industry. We will ensure that the bill recommends 60 percent local content on such project.” Lar stated.
Hon. Lar berated releases, disclosing specifically that the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology (the mother ministry of NBRRI) has consistently performed below 30 percent in this regards.
“I even fear that the figure for the 2017 budget will be far below 30percent,” she lamented.
The 8-man Committee however commended NBRRI for being prudent in the management of funds so far released to them.
Hon Lar applauded NBRRI for their financial prudence, saying that the infrastructural deficit with the country and near absence of regulation in the industry makes it very important that NASS support NBRRI.
“When we consider the infrastructural deficit in the country, which is not further helped by the near absence of regulation and enforcement of codes of conduct in the industry, these issues make NBRRI a critical stakeholder,” she stressed.
Also speaking at the occasion, the Director General of NBRRI, Prof. Danladi Slim Matawal disclosed that the institute is now more than ever prepared to realize the mandate for which it was created in 1978.
“We have tremendous achievements in the past six years and we are even more determined to transform the 79 hectare premises to a world class institute,” Matawal disclosed.
NBRRI DG lamented poor budgetary release to the institute, saying that this has harmpared the implementation of projects and recruitment for over four years.