By Els William
The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, has called on all stakeholders in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry to deepen indigenous participation and invest in homegrown capabilities to ensure sustainable growth.
He stated this while delivering his Welcome Address at the 5th Nigerian Oil and Gas Opportunity Fair (NOGOF) 2025 holding at the Nigerian Content Tower, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State. Ogbe emphasized that Nigeria must not outsource its energy security or industrial prosperity. “Our strength must lie in the expertise of our people, the enterprise of our local businesses, and the robustness of our institutions,” he declared.
Themed “Driving Investment and Production Growth: Shaping a Sustainable Oil and Gas Industry through Indigenous Capacity Development,” the event coincides with the 15th anniversary of the NOGICD Act, which has increased Nigeria’s in-country value retention from 5% in 2010 to 56% by December 2024.
Ogbe noted that Nigerian firms are now delivering at the highest level, citing ISO-certified fabrication yards, modular refineries, marine vessel ownership, and pipe mills as evidence. “Nigerian content has moved from aspiration to execution,” he said.
He praised President Bola Tinubu’s Executive Orders and “Nigeria First Policy” as transformative and encouraged International Oil Companies (IOCs) to comply with local content laws. “Let’s ensure we use what we have at home first before we commot go outside oooo,” he added.
The NCDMB is pushing for increased human capital development, with the Africa Energy Bank and the NOGTECH Hackathon cited as innovations to boost funding and digital transformation. “Visibility begets preparedness, and preparedness begets participation,” Ogbe concluded, charging all stakeholders to build an industry anchored on Nigerian capability, innovation, and resilience.