NIS, LADOL seek inter-agency collaboration to drive local content policy

The Deputy Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), Mohammed Babandede has sought inter-agency collaboration, especially with the private sector as part of measures to aid value creation in local content development.

According to him, such collaborations will aid public-private partnerships by ensuring that needs are met and investments protected.

Babandede, who spoke during a facility tour to the Lagos Deep Offshore Logistics (LADOL) base in Lagos, said Nigerians must not encourage undue exploitation of natural resources without adding any value to the nation’s economy.

The Deputy Comptroller said his organization would give maximum support to any company that is willing to abide by the nation’s local content law because the government vision is very clear on that.

Commending LADOL’s management for its efforts in boosting the nation’s economy and reducing the level of unemployment in the country, Babandede said, he was impressed by the wholly indigenous owned facility, which has so far hit $600million in local content input.

“If an organization like LADOL can employ over 5000 Nigerian working at the company project and still confident to engage more before the end of the year, it is an indication that they hope to relieve the government from the issues of unemployment in the country,” he stated.

He described the firm as the first indigenous investor to take such bold step amid the risk in undertaking such ventures, adding that the present administration stands firmly in support of its project.

On the partnership between LADOL and NIS, Babandede said: “The partnership would enable the immigration to know the number and profile of expatriates working here to ascertain if their papers are genuine and aid NIS’ conviction about the operation.