By Ali Elias
The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has extended its thought leadership beyond the oil and gas sector, as its General Manager, Corporate Communications, Dr. Obinna Ezeobi, moderated a high-level roundtable on food systems communication at the 2026 Nigeria Public Relations Week (NPRW) in Kaduna.
The session, held at the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua Centre, focused on “Communication for Food Policy, Food Production and Food Branding in Africa,” bringing together leading voices in public relations, policy, and development finance to examine how strategic communication can shape Africa’s food security agenda.
Bridging Communication and Food Systems
Ezeobi, who anchored the discussion, steered conversations around the role of narrative, trust-building, and stakeholder engagement in strengthening agricultural policy and market outcomes.
Participants emphasised that communication is no longer peripheral to food systems but central to policy adoption, consumer behaviour, and investment flows—particularly in a continent grappling with food insecurity, supply chain inefficiencies, and branding deficits.
Among the panelists were Mrs. Esther Cobbah, President of the International Public Relations Association; Mr. Arik Karani, President of the African Public Relations Association and the Public Relations Society of Kenya; and Mr. George Ene-Ita, Director of Public Affairs at the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
Also contributing to the discussion were Hadiza Kubura Oyewumi of the Bank of Industry and Nasir Ingawa of the Nigeria Agricultural Development Fund, both of whom highlighted the intersection of communication, financing, and agricultural productivity.
Communication as a Development Tool
Speakers at the roundtable underscored that effective communication strategies are critical to translating policy into measurable outcomes—particularly in agriculture, where misinformation, weak market linkages, and limited consumer awareness can undermine progress.
They noted that aligning messaging across government, private sector, and development institutions is essential for driving food production, improving value chains, and positioning African agricultural products competitively in global markets.
While the NCDMB’s core mandate lies in local content development within the oil and gas industry, its participation in broader policy conversations reflects an expanding institutional footprint in national development discourse.
Cross-Sector Engagement
Industry observers say the Board’s involvement in platforms like Nigeria Public Relations Week signals a recognition that communication is a strategic asset across sectors—from energy to agriculture.
By engaging in cross-cutting issues such as food policy and branding, institutions like NCDMB are contributing to a more integrated approach to economic development, where lessons from one sector can inform innovation in another.
The event also drew participation from senior supervisors and officers of the Board’s Corporate Communications Division, highlighting internal capacity development and knowledge sharing.
As Nigeria and other African countries seek to strengthen food security and agricultural competitiveness, experts say the role of strategic communication will remain pivotal—not only in shaping policy narratives but in mobilising action across the value chain.