***Board pushes for 70% local content, $350m fund boosts indigenous firms
The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has moved to reset public perception of its role, stressing that its mandate covers the entire country and is not restricted to Niger Delta indigenes.
Speaking at a strategic engagement with journalists, youths, and stakeholders in Port Harcourt at the weekend, the Board’s General Manager, Corporate Communications, Dr. Obinna Ezeobi, said the NCDMB’s mission is to build Nigerian capacity and enforce local content compliance in the oil and gas sector.
“The NCDMB is a federal agency set up to ensure Nigerians take active roles across the oil and gas value chain. It is not an interventionist agency for the Niger Delta,” Ezeobi said.
He urged communities to manage expectations and direct non-content-related demands to government interventionist bodies designed for that purpose.
Ezeobi also charged the media to filter misinformation and help set the right narrative for Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
“Recent sensational stories have nothing to do with us. We must focus attention on how to deepen Nigerian content from the current 56% to the 70% target,” he noted.
NCDMB officials used the forum to showcase the agency’s impact since the passage of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act in 2010.
Some the impacts they showcased included over 100 indigenous companies now boast full EPC (exploration, production, construction) capacity, 15,000 Nigerians trained in critical skills — welding, marine operations, and design engineering, $350 million has been deployed from the Nigerian Content Intervention Fund to boost local firms, Six Centres of Excellence established across the country for training in gas, engineering, and safety studies.
Deputy Manager, Capacity Building, Mr. Bufazi Tareowei, urged youths to use the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Joint Qualification System (NOGICJQS) as the central portal for training and job opportunities.
Director of Corporate Services, Dr. Abdulmalik Halilu, said the Board has “redefined ease of doing business” in the petroleum sector, creating space for local firms to thrive and enforcing compliance among foreign operators.
“From fabrication to FPSO integration, Nigeria has moved from token participation to real industry leadership,” he said.
The weekend engagement was part of NCDMB’s wider strategy to reset narratives, ensure inclusiveness, and strengthen public trust in its work as the country pushes toward higher local content and energy security.