2nd Local Content Convention Opens Today in Nairobi

The second Oil and Energy Services Local Content Convention (OES LCC) will kick off at Nairobi’s Safari Park hotel today morning bringing together hundreds of stakeholders from the East African region to discuss ways that local investors can reap from the growing oil and gas industry.

According to the organizers the OES LCC also seeks to provide players with an opportunity to showcase their business, products & services as well as technology to a large clientele at the convention as well as provide brand visibility and awareness within the convention for the sponsors.

The convention to be officially opened by Kenya’s deputy President William Ruto will discuss a host of topics including: an industry update, local content framework in the region, how to build capacity in the region and lessons to be learnt from local content experiences from around the world.

The three day event will also discuss challenges in the development and implementation of local content legislation in a panel discussion spearheaded by a member of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board Denzil Amagabe Kentebe as well as the business opportunities in emerging oil and gas and mining sectors going forward.

The event is also expected to address various challenges facing local players such as lack of financial services, lack of infrastructure, lack of technological capabilities, lack of skills and lack of international certification among others.

The event is also expected to be graced by high ranking government officials including: the cabinet and principal secretaries from Kenya’s ministry of energy and petroleum, members from the parliamentary and senate energy committees as well as representatives from the Tanzanian and Ugandan comparable ministries.

The event which will shut its doors on Friday last year saw attendance from over 300 delegates representing over 100 local and international organizations with larger numbers expected this year.

In 2014 the government announced that it will be shelving proposals to have local content inclusions into the energy and mining bill which were set to be debated in parliament so as to create an independent legislation.

This year’s event has been endorsed by the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum – Kenya, National Oil Corporation of Kenya, Oil and Gas Contractors, Association of Kenya, Kenya Association of Manufacturers, Kenya Private Sector Alliance, UK Trade and Investment, and Delegation of German Industry and Commerce in Kenya.