By Ali Elias
Two key agencies of The Presidency—the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) and the Service Compact with All Nigerians (SERVICOM)—have commended the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) for the effectiveness of its operational systems and customer service framework, as the Board advances towards attaining 70 per cent Nigerian Content by 2027.
The endorsements were given on Friday at the grand finale of the NCDMB’s 2025 Customer Service Week in Abuja, themed “Mission Possible,” where both agencies cited the Board as a benchmark for service excellence within Nigeria’s public sector.
The commendation followed the release of the 2025 Business Facilitation Act (BFA) Performance Report by the PEBEC Secretariat on December 2, in which the NCDMB ranked first among 69 Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), scoring 90.6 per cent for transparency and efficiency.
The ranking marked a sustained improvement in the Board’s performance, having retained the top position consecutively since 2022, when it recorded 81.84 per cent. According to the report, “MDAs with high scores demonstrate strong alignment with statutory obligations, consistently meeting or exceeding the operational thresholds defined within the BFA compliance architecture.”
In a goodwill message at the event, the Director-General of PEBEC, Princess Zahrah Mustapha Audu—represented by the Senior Reform Leader, High Impact Investment Workstream, Dr. Adewale Bello—described the NCDMB as “a model institution, for setting the bar, and for demonstrating that Nigeria’s public service can compete globally when the right values and systems are in place.”
She noted that the Board’s achievements were deliberate and systemic, stating that they were “the product of systems, people, leadership, and culture—a culture that insists that the Nigerian public deserves efficient service, a culture that embraces technology, transparency, and timely communication; a culture that sees customer experience as a strategic priority rather than an afterthought.”
Princess Audu urged the NCDMB to sustain its momentum, deepen innovation, and continue to inspire other MDAs across the country. She also pledged PEBEC’s readiness to strengthen collaboration with the Board to improve Nigeria’s business environment, advance local content development, and reinforce the foundations of a more competitive national economy.
Delivering the keynote address, the Head of Operations, SERVICOM Office at The Presidency, Mrs. Ngozi Akinbodewa, said the theme “Mission Possible” reflected the need to convert challenges into opportunities through enhanced compliance, collaboration and determination.
According to her, “Mission Possible is about turning challenges into opportunities, enhancement of compliance, collaboration, etc.” She added that key drivers of service excellence include “the determination to keep working until customers are satisfied no matter the challenge; teamwork—joining efforts within operational units and interdepartmentally to achieve service goals; as well as commitment from leadership.”
Mrs. Akinbodewa observed that when the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act was enacted in 2010, achieving significant local content levels was widely considered unrealistic. She noted, however, that the 61 per cent local content level already attained by the NCDMB was once seen as “Mission Impossible,” but has now become “Mission Possible” in less than 15 years.
She further stated that oil-producing African countries are looking to Nigeria for leadership, expressing confidence that “with what the NCDMB is doing, we have enough strength and capacity” to lead the continent in local content development. Concluding her address, she said that innovation and smart solutions were essential for sustained performance, stressing that “Excellence is a journey without a finish line.”
In a technical presentation titled “Mission Possible: Transforming Organisation with Change Management, AI, Enhanced Time Management Practices to Achieve the Board’s Ten-Year Road Map,” Professor Lasisi Raimi of the Federal University, Otuoke, said artificial intelligence could play a critical role in shaping the Board’s next phase of growth.
“As NCDMB prepares for the next decade of planning, AI can help co-create a more adaptive, data-driven and operationally efficient road map,” he said. According to him, AI tools could automate knowledge and data-gathering processes, helping the Board “not only to complete the remaining road map tasks before 2027, but also to transition seamlessly into its next strategic cycle with stronger institutional memory.”
Earlier, in a welcome address, the Executive Secretary of the NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, described the Customer Service Week as an opportunity for reflection and recommitment.
He said the Board uses the occasion to pause “to look at our Service Level Charter, not as a document on the wall but as our mandate.” According to him, the Charter represents the NCDMB’s “sworn oath to provide service that is timely, equitable, courteous, and anchored in integrity,” serving as the benchmark for measuring its progress towards excellence.
Represented by the Manager, SERVICOM, Ms. Seleke-Ere Owoupele, Ogbe charged staff to renew their passion for service, noting that through their daily work they are building Nigeria’s industrial capacity “one confident stakeholder at a time.”
He assured stakeholders that “the mission [attainment of 70 per cent Nigerian Content level by 2027] is indeed possible,” stressing that staff dedication remains the catalyst and professionalism the standard.
In a vote of thanks, the General Manager, Midstream Monitoring at the NCDMB, Ms. Tassala Tersugh, described the event as rewarding, particularly with the participation of senior officials from PEBEC and SERVICOM.
“They continue to show us how to do things better,” she said, adding that the Board looks forward to sustaining close collaboration with both agencies. She also expressed appreciation to NCDMB staff for their contributions to the achievement of corporate goals and the Board’s continued success.