NCDMB logo
Nigerian content in the country’s oil and gas sector has surged from five per cent in 2010 to 61 per cent, according to the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB
The Executive Secretary of the NCDMB, Mr. Felix Ogbe, made this known on Thursday in Lagos during the 2026 Association of Energy Correspondents of Nigeria (NAEC) Conference, themed “Access to Assets: Empowering Players and Driving Growth.”
Ogbe, who was represented by Dr. Obinna Ezeobi, General Manager of Corporate Communications, stated that as the current 10-year Nigerian Content Plan winds down, the board’s next priority is positioning indigenous firms to compete and export their capabilities globally.
“The next frontier is about being competitive,” Ogbe said. “It is not enough to have the capacity to operate in Nigeria. It is not enough to have Nigerian content and products. Going forward, Nigerian companies need to be competitive and able to operate across the globe.”
Highlighting human capital capacity building, Ogbe noted that the board has trained over 10,000 Nigerians in critical technical skills over the past 15 years.
Furthermore, 17,000 Nigerians have registered for specialized training in 10 priority skills designed to prepare the local workforce for upcoming investments and Final Investment Decisions (FIDs) in the sector.
To sustain this growth, the NCDMB is strengthening indigenous companies through targeted financing, local equipment manufacturing, research and development, and strategic linkages with foreign firms and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs).
The strategy also includes aiding Nigerian firms in expanding into broader African energy markets to reduce reliance on imported components.
Addressing industry obstacles, NAEC Chairman Mr. Ugo Amadi highlighted that indigenous operators continue to contend with high entry costs, prolonged approval processes, and significant funding gaps.
Amadi emphasised that dismantling these operational barriers remains crucial to unlocking further investment, building local capacity, and driving overall energy production in Nigeria. (NAN)
