At the 25th edition of the Nigeria Oil and Gas (NOG) Energy Week Conference & Exhibition in Abuja today, the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) represented by Engr. Abayomi Bamidele, Director, Capacity Building delivered a keynote address charting the future of Nigerian Content.
Fifteen years after the NOGICD Act 2010, local participation in the oil and gas industry has grown from less than 5% to 61%. Nigerians now own assets, provide services and execute major projects across the value chain. But the Board’s message today was forward-looking: the next phase must move beyond participation into manufacturing, industrialization and global competitiveness.
Key announcements from the keynote:
– A harmonised grading framework for in-country capacities has been jointly developed with NIPEX, NUPRC, NMDPRA, NNPC and OPTS, following the Presidential Directives on Local Content Compliance.
– Joint industry capacity audits of Nigerian manufacturers and service providers will commence in Q3 2026 — to eliminate intermediaries, shorten contracting timelines and guarantee patronage for proven local capacity.
– A vendor development programme will support “Emerging Players” and “Essential Vendors” to grow into manufacturers and original equipment manufacturers.
– About 20,000 Nigerians are registered on the Field Readiness Training Programme, focused on the top-10 high-demand skill areas.
– The Back-to-the-Creek Initiative has advanced, with learning facility sites identified in Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers States, and the new Cradle-to-Career programme has honoured its first 500 outstanding students in Delta State.
-The Board reminded all operators and service providers that NCDF remittance is a statutory obligation, and the NCDF Compliance Certificate is increasingly required for participation in industry opportunities.
The next phase will be guided by three priorities: Competence, Capacity Expansion, and Collaboration.
And as the Executive Secretary reminded the industry: “No projects, no local content.” The Board renewed its advocacy for an industry ‘FID Day’ to accelerate project sanctioning on the journey to a $1 trillion economy.
