When President Goodluck Jonathan signed into law the Nigerian Content Act, on April 22, 2010, it was intended among other reasons, to build local capacity and competencies, increase indigenous participation in the oil and gas industry and boost industry contributions to the growth of Nigeria’s gross domestic product.

NATONY is one of the very successful stories of indigenous firms that have grown over time to the level of being able to compete internationally. In this interview with the Managing Director of the firm, Mr. Nath Agbonifo, in an interview told Godwin Oritse that the government is trying to politicize the law by using it to patronize its cronies. He warned that until government allowed firms that are truly involved in the oil and gas business, the law may not achieve the purpose of building indigenous capacity. Excerpts:

WHEN recently, the publisher and chairman of the Leadership newspapers, Mr. Sam Nda-Isaiah, announced that he was stepping down as Editor-in-Chief of the organisation, I did not need anybody to explain to me the reason he did that.

A retired judge of the Imo State High Court (name withheld) is alleged to have taken some members of the Zion Methodist Church, Obazu Mbieri to Alaogbaga Shrine of Chokoneze in Ezinihitte Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo State over a land dispute.

The concept of indigenisation is not new to Nigeria’s oil and gas industry. There have been various attempts to deepen local ownership, capacity and delivery since the early 1990s. While successful in part, one of the deepest frustrations of this process has been the failure of the indigenous sector to achieve its desired potential.