Local Content Bureau to positively impact Ekiti Economy – Ijidale.

Local Content Bureau to positively impact Ekiti Economy – Ijidale.

Governor Biodun Oyebanji created the Bureau of Local Content and Citizenship to build the local economy and stop the exodus of professionals to other cities, its Director General, Hon. Olalekan Ijidale, has said.

Making this clarification to newsmen during an interview in Ado Ekiti on Wednesday, the DG said the governor really has the interest of the people of the state at heart and wants to build a viable and vibrant Ekiti economy.

He disclosed; "We have about a hundred billion for capital projects this year. The skilled workers and vendors in Ekiti are being patronized to ensure that at the end of the day,  money is retained in Ekiti to improve the economy to an extent. This will also reduce insecurity as people will be gainfully engaged, thereby  avoiding illegal activities.

"With regards to infrastructure, there will be local development to limit rural-urban migration. When there is development and government presence in the local areas and people are living comfortably with every amenities available, there won't be unnecessary migration to the city".

According to him, the target is to tackle the greatest challenges in the state, such that people can graduate or serve and still remain in Ekiti through gainful engagement engendered by the local content policy put in place.

“The mandate of this office is to enforce the use of local content in which people from Ekiti State will be engaged to execute projects. Towards this end, we are registering local and non-indigenous contractors and artisans in our data base.

“Only contractors and sub-contractors that have the requisite capacity will be engaged with strict compliance with local content policy of the government. Such company must pick its local content from our data base to encourage local development with resultant increase in revenue.

“No contractor will execute any job in Ekiti without making use of our people captured in our database and the flouting of the policy will attract stiff penalty which may include the withdrawal of such contract”, he said.

Hon. Ijidale disclosed that he had spoken to the staff of the bureau on the need to ensure transparency in examining any document without favouritism and warned that any staff that contravene the policy risks job loss and prosecution.

He said that through this policy, Ekiti graduates will have the opportunity to practice their professions and garner the necessary experience while in the state.

The Director General said the bureau intends to organize  three weeks’ training for graduates to get them ready for local content even as the building of 300 –capacity training centre is in the pipeline  to make the intention realistic.