The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB),has detailed how it wielded the big sticks on Sterling Oil Exploration and Energy Production Company (SEEPCO) for breaching Nigerian content laws in recent years.
The Board disclosed that SEEPCO had previously faced sanctions on account of the illegal act.
The Board conveyed this in a statement on Monday as a follow up to last week’s protest by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) at SEEPCO’s headquarters in Lagos on account of the company’s abuse of expatriate quota in Nigeria.
According to the statement,in 2017, the Board penalised the company after discovering five expatriates working without necessary approvals.
SEEPCO was directed to train five Nigerians in Marine Engineering and Subsurface Drilling Engineering in order to remediate the violation,the statement said.
The statement added that in 2018, NCDMB identified another infraction in which SEEPCO illegally deployed 402 expatriates, alongside unauthorised project executions.
Following the infractions, the Board imposed penalties and ordered the company to disengage the expatriates and provide proof of their exit, follow proper expatriate quota application processes, adhere to NCDMB’s rules on tendering and awarding contracts, reconcile and pay outstanding remittances to the Nigerian Content Development Fund (NCDF), and train and employ 40 Nigerians as remediation.
The Board SEEPCO ignored these directives, prompting the Board to initiate legal proceedings under Section 68 of the NOGICD Act.
It added:“In 2020, SEEPCO sought an out-of-court settlement and committed to addressing the compliance issues and undertaking the remediation. SEEPCO completed the training of 40 Nigerians in 2022, but the employment commitment was not achieved. Additionally, SEEPCO made only partial NCDF remittances.
“SEEPCO has refused to respond and comply with other Nigerian Content requirements,” the statement added.
The Board also noted that it had requested statutory submissions from SEEPCo and scheduled a performance review session for March 2025.
The Board vowed to investigate Sterling Oil Exploration and Energy Production Company (SEEPCO) over alleged expatriate anti-labour practices and quota violations
It reiterated its stance on prioritising Nigerian talent in the oil and gas sector and warned that firms failing to comply with local content laws would face legal consequences.
NCDMB said it is committed to the effective implementation and enforcement of the NOGICD Act in the oil and gas sector, “with a view to creating employment opportunities for Nigerians.”
It added that it would not fail to sanction companies that violate provisions of the NOGICD Act.
