By Ali Elias
The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) on Monday, May 6, 2025, carried out a joint assessment visit to the Centre of Excellence on Local Material Substitution at the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), as part of efforts to deepen research and innovation in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
The visit was led by the General Manager, Research and Statistics, Mr. Silas Ajimijaye, and focused on evaluating progress at the centre, sharing technical knowledge, and ensuring contractors working on similar centres align with global standards.
Mr. Ajimijaye also held discussions with the Deputy Vice Chancellor of FUTO, during which he reaffirmed NCDMB’s commitment to the operational success of the centre. He emphasized the Board’s expectation that FUTO would fully implement its responsibilities under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed for the project.
“Our goal is to build a network of world-class centres that will not only support the development of local materials but also reduce Nigeria’s dependency on imported industrial components,” Mr. Ajimijaye said. “This visit is part of our quality assurance mechanism to ensure that what is being constructed aligns with our vision of excellence.”
The team, which included the Centre Director and contractors from other institutions with ongoing construction or rehabilitation works, toured the facilities. This tour allowed for practical knowledge sharing and gave contractors the opportunity to identify areas of improvement in line with NCDMB’s standards.
The Centre of Excellence on Local Material Substitution at FUTO is one of several such centres supported by NCDMB to advance Nigeria’s local content drive. The centres serve as innovation hubs, aimed at researching alternatives to imported materials in oil and gas operations and promoting indigenous technological solutions.
NCDMB’s Local Content 10-Year Strategic Roadmap, launched in 2017, places strong emphasis on research and development, particularly in the area of local material utilization. The Centres of Excellence are key components of this plan, designed to harness the capabilities of Nigerian institutions in solving industry-specific problems.
As Nigeria pushes toward industrial self-reliance and economic diversification, the sabotage of such strategic initiatives—whether through underperformance or deviation from standards—poses a long-term risk to national growth. The NCDMB’s continued oversight of these centres is therefore critical, not only for the oil and gas sector but for the nation’s broader technological and economic development.