By Ali Elias
The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Felix Omatsola Ogbe, has declared that Nigeria’s next phase of industrial growth, employment creation and competitiveness would be driven largely by opportunities in the midstream and downstream segments of the oil and gas industry.
Ogbe made the assertion in his keynote address at the 2026 Nigerian Oil and Gas Midstream and Downstream Summit held in Lagos, where he stressed that the future of Nigerian Content implementation now lies beyond upstream activities into gas infrastructure, refining, petrochemicals and domestic energy value addition.
The Executive Secretary, represented by his Special Technical Assistant, Engr. Austin Uzoka, opened the engagement with a strong charge to industry stakeholders, insisting that “Local content must be of high visibility and high impact.”
The two-day summit, themed “Unlocking, Growing and Sustaining Nigerian Content Development in Nigeria’s Oil and Gas Midstream and Downstream Sectors,” is being hosted by NCDMB at Four Points by Sheraton, Lagos.
Addressing regulators, investors, operators, contractors and financiers, Ogbe described the gathering as more than a routine industry event.
“This summit is not just another industry gathering. It is not merely a compliance event. It is not simply a networking platform,” he said.
“It is a strategic engagement designed to bring together policymakers, regulators, operators, investors, financiers, contractors, service providers, manufacturers, technology providers and other key stakeholders to collectively chart a practical and sustainable path for Nigerian Content development within the midstream and downstream sectors.”
According to him, the summit comes at a pivotal moment in the country’s energy transition as reforms under the current administration continue to improve investor confidence and reposition Nigeria as a leading energy destination in Africa.
“Across the country, we are witnessing renewed optimism, stronger investor confidence, strategic reforms, policy clarity, and deliberate efforts aimed at repositioning the Nigerian economy for sustainable growth and development,” he stated.
“These reforms are already yielding positive outcomes across the energy value chain and positioning Nigeria once again as one of the most attractive destinations for oil and gas investments on the African continent.”
Ogbe traced the Board’s journey since its establishment under the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act, 2010, noting that Nigerian Content implementation had recorded notable gains across exploration, fabrication, engineering, marine services and indigenous asset ownership.
“In the upstream sector, Nigerian companies today are not just participants but major contributors to some of the most complex upstream projects in our industry, delivering quality value with competence and professionalism,” he said.
He however argued that the emerging opportunities in gas gathering, processing, transportation, storage infrastructure, LPG and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) deployment have created a new frontier for investment and local capacity expansion.
“In the midstream sector, we are now witnessing tremendous opportunities in gas gathering, gas processing, compression, transportation, storage infrastructure, pipelines, LPG and CNG distribution and related industrial infrastructure,” he said.
“As Nigeria continues to deepen its gas-based industrialization agenda, the midstream sector presents enormous opportunities for investment, technology deployment, local manufacturing and capacity development.”
The NCDMB boss also highlighted progress in refining, logistics, petrochemicals and retail operations within the downstream segment, describing it as one of the strongest drivers of employment and SME participation.
“In the downstream sector, we continue to see growing opportunities in refining, product distribution, retail operations, depot infrastructure, lubricants, petrochemical products, logistics, supply chain optimization and domestic energy accessibility,” he stated.
“This segment remains one of the strongest drivers of employment creation, SME participation, local enterprise development and direct economic impact on everyday Nigerians.”
Ogbe cited recent developments in Nigeria’s refining and gas sectors as evidence of the country’s growing industrial capacity.
“One of the most notable achievements in this regard is the emergence of world-class refining infrastructure within our country, particularly the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, which stands today as one of the largest single-train refineries in the world and a major symbol of Nigeria’s industrial ambition, resilience and capacity for self-sufficiency.”
He further referenced modular refinery projects, gas commercialisation efforts, LPG penetration and the Federal Government’s Presidential Initiative on CNG as indicators that Nigeria is gradually moving from crude exports to domestic value addition.
“Projects such as the Nigeria LNG Limited Train 7, ongoing gas infrastructure expansion programmes, domestic gas utilisation initiatives and the Federal Government’s Presidential Initiative on CNG are clear evidence that Nigeria is not only producing energy resources but increasingly processing, adding value, industrializing and exporting finished and semi-finished products.”
On regulatory enforcement, Ogbe maintained that Nigerian Content compliance remained non-negotiable but must support growth and investment.
“Compliance remains central to our mandate. Compliance remains non-negotiable. Compliance remains the foundation upon which Nigerian Content is built,” he declared.
“However, we also recognize that compliance must be practical. Compliance must be implementable. Compliance must support business growth. Compliance must encourage investment. Compliance must create value. Compliance must solve real problems.”
Earlier in his welcome address, Acting Director, Monitoring and Evaluation, NCDMB, Barr. Esueme Dan-Kikile, described the summit as timely, saying it would deepen local participation and unlock new opportunities within the sector.
“This summit comes at a very important time in Nigeria’s energy journey as we continue to deepen Nigerian Content implementation and unlock greater opportunities across the midstream and downstream sectors of the oil and gas industry,” he said.
According to him, the theme reflected the collective resolve to strengthen indigenous participation and sustain economic growth.
“The theme of this year’s summit reflects our collective commitment to strengthening indigenous participation, promoting local capacity development, encouraging investment and ensuring sustainable economic growth for our nation,” Dan-Kikile stated.
He expressed confidence that deliberations over the two-day event would generate practical solutions and strategic partnerships capable of improving local competitiveness.
“We are confident that the discussions, technical sessions and strategic collaborations from this summit will generate practical solutions and actionable outcomes that will further enhance the growth and competitiveness of local capacity in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry,” he added.
The summit continues today with technical sessions and stakeholder engagements focusing on investment opportunities, compliance frameworks, industrial partnerships and sustainable Nigerian Content development across the oil and gas value chain.