NCDMB, J’Berger execute contract for Oloibiri Museum

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board on Thursday executed the engineering, procurement, and construction contract with Julius Berger Plc for the development of the Oloibiri Museum and Research Centre.

The museum is to be located at Otuabagi, Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

A statement released by the NCDMB corporate communications department on Thursday disclosed that the Executive Secretary of the NCDMB, Felix Ogbe, executed the contract at the board’s liaison office in Abuja, with the project construction to be delivered within 30 months.

The statement added that the Oloibiri Museum and Research Centre is being financed by the Petroleum Development Technology Fund, NCDMB, Shell Petroleum Development Company/Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd and the Bayelsa State Government, in the ratio of 40:30:20 and 10 respectively.

“The project is registered by guarantee, with the four organisations serving as partners. The contract agreement has been approved by the partners and signed by Julius Berger Plc,” the statement noted.

The executive secretary of the NCDMB was said to have served as the chairman of the registered company, “hence he signed the contract on behalf of the partners, with the Director Legal Services, NCDMB, M. Naboth Onyesoh, serving as the Secretary of the company.”

Former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration had in February 2023 awarded the contract for the Engineering, Procurement and Construction scope of the OMRC to Julius Berger at the sum of N117bn.

The groundbreaking of the OMRC was performed in February 2023, a colourful ceremony attended by leading government officials, oil and gas stakeholders and community members.

Ogbe expressed delight in the execution of the contract, which marked the commencement of construction activities.

He noted that the project would catalyse immense economic benefits for Bayelsa and the national economy during the construction and operation stages.

Ogbe thanked the partners of the project and other stakeholders who contributed to the success of the project to date.

He indicated that the project was conceived to pay homage to the birthplace of Nigeria’s hydrocarbon commercial production journey which commenced in 1958.

The NCDMB boss added that President Bola Tinubu believes that the project is long overdue hence the multi-level government and private sector collaboration was engineered to actualise the establishment of the project.

The statement added further, “The OMRC project is expected to deliver a world-class oil and gas museum, showcasing the history of crude oil production in Nigeria and display of geological formations, early equipment, tools, and platforms used in the evolution of oil and gas activities.

“In addition, the research testing centre will provide a facility where field trials of prototypes of oil and gas-related indigenous research will be conducted, granting access to university students in oil and gas-related disciplines to potentially better understand indigenous oil and gas technology advancements.

“The OMRC project will also facilitate the commercialisation of research through the creation of a suitable ecosystem for the development of home-grown technology for oil and gas operations and create a new commercial value chain from Museum and Research operations that will generate employment for Nigerians.”