Tag: Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board

For Nigeria and other African countries to fully translate its vast hydrocarbon wealth into shared prosperity and sustainable development, local content must become the cornerstone of the continent’s energy strategy, the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, has said.

Ogbe made the call during the 4th edition of the African Petroleum Producers Organisation (APPO) Conference and Exhibition on Local Content in Africa, held in Brazzaville, Congo.

The high-level event brought together policymakers, energy ministers, and industry leaders from across the continent to advance local content implementation and energy development in Africa.

Representing the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Sen Heineken Lokpobiri, at APPO’s Statutory Ministerial Council Meeting—where a new Secretary General was elected—Ogbe stressed that African nation must build indigenous capacity and value-retention mechanisms to benefit fully from their abundant resources.

He noted that the continent’s over 125 billion barrels of proven oil reserves and 620 trillion cubic feet of gas would continue to yield limited impact unless countries adopt and effectively implement local content policies.

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“Local content is not merely a regulatory framework; it is a development strategy. It represents our collective resolve to build indigenous capacity, retain value within our borders, and create sustainable jobs for Africa’s young and dynamic population,” Ogbe said.

Drawing from Nigeria’s 15 years of successful local content practice, Ogbe highlighted that deliberate policy design and pragmatic execution can deliver measurable economic gains. He reaffirmed NCDMB’s readiness to share its frameworks, tools, and expertise with other African petroleum-producing nations.

According to him, the Board has developed robust models—including policy templates, monitoring structures, and digital compliance platforms such as the NOGIC Joint Qualification System (NOGIC JQS)—that could serve as blueprints for other African countries seeking to deepen local participation.

Ogbe also proposed the establishment of an African Energy Services Network, aimed at connecting fabrication, manufacturing, and engineering hubs across the continent to strengthen value retention and build a pan-African industrial ecosystem.

“Such a framework would enable African companies to complement one another’s capacities, creating cross-border linkages that enhance competitiveness and drive industrialisation,” he added.

The NCDMB boss commended the creation of the African Energy Bank, a joint initiative by APPO and Afreximbank, describing it as a milestone in ensuring competitive financing for Africa’s oil and gas projects. He assured that NCDMB stands ready to provide technical support and project linkages to help actualize the bank’s objectives.

Ogbe further cited Nigeria’s achievements in local content infrastructure, including the Egina FPSO Integration Yard at LADOL Free Zone, Lagos—Africa’s first such facility—and the NCDMB Industrial Parks in Bayelsa and Cross River States, designed to host manufacturers of oil and gas components and create opportunities for SMEs and investors.

He also spotlighted the Board’s Research and Development (R&D) and Human Capacity Development (HCD) initiatives, which have trained over 20,000 Nigerians in specialized oil and gas skills, describing them as scalable models for other African countries.

“Nigerian service companies are eager to collaborate with their African counterparts in engineering, marine, fabrication, and digital energy services,” he said, noting that cross-border investments in modular refineries, gas processing, and local manufacturing could further deepen integration.

During the conference, senior NCDMB officials also participated in technical sessions showcasing Nigeria’s local content journey. Panel discussions featured insights from key directors and managers of the Board, alongside industry partners such as Cypher Crescent Ltd., generating strong interest from other countries keen to adopt Nigeria’s model.

Ogbe reaffirmed that NCDMB’s vision extends beyond Nigeria, emphasising that Africa’s collective progress depends on leveraging shared expertise, building indigenous capacity, and sustaining intra-African collaboration in the energy value chain.

Nigerian Content Academy Lecture Series organised by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB)  has opened  a robust debate on the state of local content implementation in the country’s oil and gas sector.

The debate is a  strong message to industry players not to undermine the initiative.

Delivering a lecture on “Staying the Nigerian Content Course in the Midst of Delivery Challenges,” pioneer Executive Secretary of the NCDMB, Engr. Ernest Nwapa, dismissed claims that stringent local content regulations were responsible for delays in major oil and gas investment decisions.

“There are many government policies that are affecting Final Investment Decisions (FIDs),” Nwapa stated, insisting that local content was not the cause of the slowdown.

Instead, he noted, the oil and gas industry is navigating an increasingly complex environment shaped by global energy transitions, shifting investment patterns, and growing demands for value addition.

The Lecture Series, which is held weekly, is part of NCDMB’s efforts to deepen stakeholder understanding of evolving trends and opportunities in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.

Nwapa, who also served as Group General Manager, Nigerian Content Division of the NNPC between 2005 and 2010, cautioned against recurring fears that the local content initiative may lose relevance.

 “Such unfounded fears,” he said, “are often pushed by stakeholders who have always been averse to the policy.”

The engineer expressed concern over emerging “unintended ambiguities” in the Presidential Directives issued in February 2024, warning that these could weaken institutional authority if not clarified. “There must be institutional adjustment to re-enact the authority in NCDMB directives,” he stressed.

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He lamented that some operators have failed to respect the Board’s authority, noting that once the NCDMB issues a directive, it must stand. “If the Board writes a letter and says this is what stands on Nigerian Content, nobody should question it,” he said.

Tracing the evolution of local content in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, Nwapa explained that earlier efforts — from the Petroleum Act of 1969 to the Cabotage Act of 2003 — laid the groundwork, but none had the transformative impact of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act of 2010.

He cited tangible outcomes, such as the successful local participation in projects like Egina FPSO’s integration at SHI-MCI Yard, Lagos, which provided practical training and employment for hundreds of Nigerian engineers and technicians.

According to him, “Our young engineers and technicians now have opportunities to acquire practical skills because projects are happening locally.” He warned that failing to sustain the momentum could have “serious consequences” for Nigeria’s economic diversification efforts.

On the recurring debate about the cost of local content compliance, Nwapa urged stakeholders to view it as an investment in long-term competitiveness. “If you don’t start practising local content and getting your people involved, the cost gap will only get wider,” he said.

 “You either bite the bullet now or use local activity to drive costs down, or abandon it and lose capacity.”

He advised that project costs should be evaluated case by case, under the NCDMB’s guidance and in collaboration with operators, to ensure a fair balance between local participation and commercial viability.

Nwapa further encouraged the Nigerian Content Academy to serve as a hub for practical learning, research, and policy testing — bridging the gap between theory and industry practice.

As part of its effort to integrate oil-producing communities into the oil and gas value chain, the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has embarked on a training programme to equip elders, leaders and the youths of communities in the Niger Delta areas with the knowledge and skills necessary for conflict resolution and people management in the region.

A statement by the NCDMB Executive Secretary, Felix Ogbe, the five-day training programme which is taking place at Lekki Grand View Hotel, Lekki, Lagos, is to empower participants to contribute to nation-building through strengthening collaboration, for positive impact.

The training is for leaders of the Ijaw, Itsekiri and Urhobo communities. The aim is to bring them into continuous engagement for effective societal development.

Ogbe stressed the importance of training for the elders, saying the idea is to enhance inter-ethnic cooperation and co-existence for harmonious growth and development. He said the training will ensure that the leaders understand the significance of ethnic corporations in societal development in the region, which mainly produces the oil that is the mainstay of the nation’s economy.

The Chairman of Excellon Consults Limited and Service Energy Services Limited, Chief Bernard Okumagba said one of the key functions of the NCDMB is to engage in capacity-building interventions that would deepen indigenous capabilities.

He added: “This Leadership Training Programme for the Leadership of our elders and youths of the various ethnic groups is in furtherance of the NCDMB mandate and crucial for promoting Nigerian content in the oil and gas industry.

“By empowering the leadership of our elders and youths, the NCDMB under the leadership of Executive Secretary, Felix Omatsola Ogbe aims to integrate oil-producing communities into the oil and gas value chain, fostering institutional collaboration and maximizing Nigerian participation.

“This training is also vital for developing indigenous capabilities through human capital development, infrastructure, and local supplier growth.

“The key objectives of the training programme include equipping the Leadership of our Elders and Youths categories with effective leadership, management and decision-making skills; Increase awareness and understanding of NCDMB’s initiatives and policies; and Strengthening relationships between the leaders, NCDMB, and other stakeholders.”

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Okumagba said participants will be taken through topics such as developing leadership competencies, strategic thinking and decision-making, stakeholders’ engagements for societal development, strategies for continuous leadership and development, and strategic collaboration for positive impact.

Other aspects of the training are inter-ethnic cooperation and co-existence for harmony, growth and development, and financial management for business success. The training is delivered through interactive lectures, case studies, group discussions and practical exercises.

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), has said efforts were being made to bring the International Oil Companies (IOCs) back to Nigeria to continue their operations.

The Executive Secretary, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe who spoke during the Executive Secretary 2024 Breakfast Meeting in Lagos, with the theme: “The Role of the Media in Sustaining Nigerian Content Development”, said the board also intends to increase the initiative to make sure that the second time construction activities in the oil and gas industry, according to the President’s directive, was within the six months as directed.

“At the same time, again, we’re going to go into dealing with the communities, trying to grow capacity with the community contractors so that the impact of the community on oil and gas operations is minimised to the barest minimum as soon as possible,” he said.

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The Executive Secretary said in the last 10 months, the board had maintained the path of the Board adding that the board had also completed some of the Board’s ongoing projects, while developing new policies in response to the emerging developments.

He however stated that the challenges were how to minimise or reduce the cost of contracting and minimise the impact on IOCs in terms of activities in the country.

“For the companies who have left the shore of Nigeria, we should be able to bring them back to continue doing operations and respect Nigeria’s content as per the President’s directive. So we have challenges with how to get people who are planning to leave or who have already left the shores to come back and invest in Nigeria,” he said.

 “This breakfast meeting underscores the high importance and value which NCDMB accords to the relationship with media stakeholders as part of the Nigerian Content project,” he said.

He said  the success of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act and the Nigerian Content 10-year strategic roadmap depended on public communication, awareness and support received from key oil and gas stakeholders.

According to him, the critical importance of media and communication is recognised by the NOGICD Act. That is why it mandates NCDMB to continually deploy communication and public enlightenment programmes to propagate Nigerian Content policies and practices.

Ogbe noted that the Nigerian Content 10-year strategic roadmap had five Pillars and four Enablers adding that one of the Enablers focused on Collaboration and Stakeholder Engagement. “That Enabler speaks to the relevance of public communication and engagement of internal and external publics to the success of the roadmap,” he said.

“In the past 10 months that I have served as Executive Secretary, I have observed the cordial relationship between the NCDMB and the media. I have been impressed with how the media project the activities and programmes of the Board through positive reports in the print, electronic and online platforms.

“It is obvious that this symbiotic relationship started through the efforts of my predecessors, and the effective work of the Corporate Communications Team,” he said.

He assured that the same level of cooperation and collaboration would continue under his leadership as the Executive Secretary.

According to him, the communications team would explore new creative strategies through which it would provide further support to media practitioners, as key stakeholders to the Nigerian Content project.

Ogbe reiterated the resolve of the NCDMB to sustain and surpass the level of accomplishments the agency had been known for in the last 14 years and expressed confidence that the government of President Bola Tinubu was fully committed to Local Content development adding that NCDMB is key to accomplishing many of the economic targets of the administration.