By Ali Elias
Yenagoa, Nigeria — June 14, 2025
A group of students from Tamara Sterling Academy, Kpansia, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, embarked on a learning journey today as they visited the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), also in the State. The educational excursion was aimed at exposing the students to the Board’s operations, mandate, and the role it plays in driving Nigeria’s local content development agenda in the oil and gas sector.
The visit, part of the Academy’s broader commitment to experiential learning, offered the students a firsthand understanding of how policy translates into impact, especially in the context of national development and indigenous participation in the energy industry.
Officials of the NCDMB welcomed the students warmly, offering presentations and guided tours that covered the Board’s functions, its core mandate under the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act, and its various initiatives targeted at human capacity development, youth empowerment, research and development, and the promotion of Nigerian goods and services within the sector.
Speaking during the visit, an NCDMB representative encouraged the students to embrace science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education, highlighting the Board’s numerous scholarship and training schemes aimed at building a knowledge-based workforce for the oil and gas industry.
“We are delighted to host these bright young minds. Our hope is that today’s experience will inspire them to consider careers in engineering, technology, policy, and other areas critical to Nigeria’s economic growth,” the representative said.
Teachers accompanying the students expressed appreciation to the NCDMB for opening its doors to the young learners. They described the experience as both enriching and enlightening, especially for students with interests in public service, energy, and national development.
The students, visibly enthusiastic, asked questions about the structure and impact of the Board’s work.
The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board continues to be a central institution in the drive for increased local participation in Nigeria’s petroleum industry. Initiatives like this educational visit reflect the Board’s broader commitment to outreach, education, and grooming the next generation of Nigerian talent.