Media role in managing expectations

By Daniel Amule
Dar es Salam: Nigeria's local content Act helped the country in regulating its oil, gas and mining sector by creating jobs, promoting enterprise development and accelerating the transfer of skills and technologies.
Tanzania now has an established  Local Content Department at the National Economic Empowerment Council (NEEC) under the Prime Minsiter's office which has put in place its three year plan 2016/17 - 2019/20.

The brain child behind this department Ms. Neema Lugangira currently an independent consultant on local content has enhanced the knowlegde of 24 journalists from the three countries of Ghana, Tanzania and Uganda through  reporting on the different aspects of local content in oil, gas and mining sector focusing on the laws, policy frameworks and also comparing the local content frameworks of the three countries.

According to Ms. Neema Lugangira local content includes ownership thus opening avenues for local businesses in the case of Tanzania, local business refers to any business in Tanzania incorporated and registered in Tanzania with 51% shares owned  by Tanzania national and 51% of management positions held by Tanzania nationals.

With this in place, Ms. Neema says this provides a willingness for investment because there is an opportunity for intance catering and food supply.

However at a time that Ugandans especially in westnile are so expectant and ready to give their blessings for the next phase of oil exploration, there is increased appetite for benefits that come along with oil and gas including but not limited to scholarships, royalities, employmemt opportunities, cooperate social responsibilities by oils companies; the government needs to get a good deal at the decision chain so that the local people where these natural resources are located can actually benefit.

Therefore, Ms. Neema says journalists have a crucial role to play in public expectation management which she pointed out as one of the limitations in implementating a local content policy stressing that often times journalists contribute in raising expectations but are poor in management of public expectations.

She challenged journalists to always verify the information they get from the different players in this sector so as to help the communities understand and appreciate some of complexities.

Deo Mfugale of Journalists Environmental Association of Tanzania JET reiterated the fact that local content was getting the most benefit from the extractive industry that should add value to the local economy, regional and the country.
Tanzania with its bold stand on local content has stopped any off shore mining in the country, aimed at promote local participation.

Sam jumbwike a ugandan journalist wondered how the other countries that don't have the zeal to push for a local content policy like has been the case in Tanzania could actually start the process.

Nicholas Pythian a consult in oil, gas and mining at the strenghtening media oversight of the extractives sectors 2016 also encourages the journalsits to actually invest in "showing the risks of not doing it BT the rewards of doing" incase of the local content.

Ms. Neema called upon the journalists to build the zeal in reporting more often on the issues through showing more of the losses incurred as a way of raising awareness.

One challenge with local content has been the fact that it can promote corruption and elite capture of an oil industry, especially when requirements to partner with local companies resulted in schemes in which elite politicians created shell companies to profit from the law in Nigeria. End