Onyedi Gabriel, Port Harcourt
Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board has formally taken possession of its newly completed 17-storey headquarters from the contractor of the project, Megastar Technical and Construction Company.
The contractor handed over the keys to the building located along Ox-Bow Lake Road, Swali, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, on Tuesday.
The board said the development paved the way for the formal inauguration of the building by President Muhammadu Buhari and the gradual relocation of NCDMB personnel and operations from the offices at Opolo and Onopa, both in Yenagoa, to the new building.
Managing Director of Megastar Technical and Construction Company, Harcourt Adukeh, submitted the keys to the Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Simbi Kesiye Wabote.
Nigerian Content Headquarters was conceived in the early years of the board, but formal construction commenced in 2015.
The entire project comprises 17-floor office complex christened Nigerian Content Tower, four-storey multi-level car park and a 1000-seater capacity conference hall and other ancillary facilities.
Wabote applauded the technical competence of the main contractor, and other sub-contractors, saying that they delivered a world-class project within the specified timeline.
He confirmed that the board utilised the project successfully to create jobs, impact skills, procure local goods as well as change the landscape of the Niger Delta region.
Wabote, who was represented by the Director, Planning, Research and Statistics, Mr. Patrick Daziba Obah, commended the safety records achieved on the project, particularly for the fact that there was no Loss Time Injury.
He said, “Beyond just giving us a beautiful edifice, the project safety statistics have been very impressive for a building of this size.”
He described the completed NCDMB Headquarters as a clear demonstration that Nigerian companies could deliver complex projects to the desired quality level, cost and schedule, if given opportunities.
He hinted that the handover marked the beginning of another key phase in the activities of the board as it would require a step up in its assets management capabilities.
In his remarks, Adukeh said that the project employed over 600 Nigerians at the peak of construction, with over 70 percent of them drawn from Bayelsa.
He expressed delight that a good number of the workers were women and they had been mobilised to other construction sites and would also work for Megastar in forthcoming projects, in view of their proficiency and dedication.
He extolled wabote for deploying his rich technical background and projects experience, which helped to ensure the success of the project.
“We would say that we are highly privileged to have a client like NCDMB, their timely response and unalloyed support paved way for the success we have recorded,” he said.
He confirmed that the company executed a total of 4,916,223 man-hours on the project and worked for 1,542 days on site without any Loss Time Injury.
While appreciating the consultants that worked on the project, he pleaded that Nigerian contractors should be given more opportunities as they can deliver projects with bigger expectations.
He also thanked Buhari and the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, for facilitating timely approvals, which contributed immensely to the delivery of the project.