The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) announced on Monday its plan to commission comprehensive baseline studies aimed at verifying the capacity of Nigerian service providers and manufacturers of consumables in the oil and gas sector.
Executive Secretary of the NCDMB Felix Omatsola Ogbe, revealed these initiatives during the 24th Nigerian Oil and Gas Conference (NOG Energy Week) in Abuja, themed “Achieving Energy Sufficiency through Local Content Implementation.”
Ogbe stated, “The Board will commission a Baseline Study to ascertain and verify the available capacity of Nigerian service providers. Similarly, we will conduct a Baseline Study of consumables and other goods utilized within the oil and gas industry.” These studies will identify Nigerian companies producing these goods and confirm their operational capacities.
The Executive Secretary also highlighted the Back-To-The-Creek Programme, an initiative aligned with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Eight-Point Agenda. The program focuses on driving economic growth and job creation through vocational training, ICT, and STEM education targeted at students and youths residing in Nigeria’s creek communities.
Ogbe explained, “The Back-To-The-Creek Programme supports the ‘Nigeria First Policy’ by developing human capital in these regions, creating a skilled workforce ready to support Nigerian industries.” The initiative is a critical component of NCDMB’s 10-Year Strategic Roadmap, particularly the Technical Capability Development pillar.
Key elements of the program include upgrading educational infrastructure in selected creek schools, offering stipends to retain quality teachers, digitizing school curricula, providing vocational skills training, and granting scholarships to talented students.
Ogbe further noted that the federal government is intensifying efforts to deepen local content across the nation to achieve energy sufficiency. He traced the journey to the enactment of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act of 2010, which has been in effect for over 15 years.
He added, “Several Executive Orders have been issued, including Executive Order 001 on Ease of Doing Business and Executive Order 005 on prioritizing Nigerian firms for procurement contracts.” These directives complement the administration’s focus on local content.
Highlighting the Nigeria First Policy, Ogbe said it forms the cornerstone of this administration’s economic vision: “All goods and services available locally will be procured domestically unless there is a clear and justifiable reason otherwise.” This aligns with Section 3(1) of the NOGICD Act, which mandates giving first consideration to Nigerian goods and services that meet industry standards.
Ogbe emphasized, “The Nigeria First Policy is a bold commitment to build national pride, industrial competence, and sustainable economic growth by putting Nigerian-made products and services first.” To ensure effective implementation, the Board is developing a Nigeria First Procurement Policy and integrating it into processes like the review of Nigeria Content Plans and Compliance Certifications.
He concluded, “Local content is not just a policy; it is a strategic imperative that creates an enabling environment for investment. A nation that aspires to energy sufficiency must build its energy ecosystem from within by deepening local capacities across the entire oil and gas value chain.”
Ogbe stressed that this approach not only retains economic value within Nigeria but also mitigates supply disruptions, generates employment, and builds technological resilience key drivers toward achieving national and continental energy sufficiency.
