By Ali Elias
The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has reaffirmed its commitment to deepening indigenous capabilities in the offshore oil and gas industry, urging operators, service companies and investors to channel greater resources into local manufacturing and research and development (R&D) as Nigeria seeks to retain more value from its vast hydrocarbon resources.
The Board made the call at the Offshore Well Intervention (OWI) West Africa 2026 Conference, held in Lagos from June 2 to 3, where its Director of Planning, Research and Statistics, Mr. Silas Omomehin Ajimijaye, represented the Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, on a high-level industry panel.
Speaking during a session titled “Local Capability, Leadership and New Delivery Models, and Execution in West Africa,” Ajimijaye said Nigeria’s local content journey had advanced significantly beyond participation and was now focused on building the capacity to lead.
“Nigeria is no longer content merely to participate in the oil and gas industry; we are building the capacity to lead it,” he declared.
“We have reached around 80 per cent local content in engineering and fabrication, and our focus now is on closing the manufacturing and research gap so that more value is retained in the country.”
His remarks reflect the Board’s broader strategy of shifting Nigerian content development from service provision and fabrication towards higher-value activities such as equipment manufacturing, technology development, innovation and intellectual property creation.
Ajimijaye explained that the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act of 2010 remains the foundation of the Board’s interventions, while recent Executive Orders and Presidential Directives issued in 2024 have provided additional momentum by reducing contracting timelines and costs, while strengthening compliance with local content requirements.
According to him, manufacturing and research remain the critical areas where Nigeria must make significant progress if it is to achieve its target of 70 per cent local content retention by the end of 2027.
“Local content is a partnership, not a barrier,” he told participants.
“We are asking the industry to build genuine capability with us, to invest in local research and development, and to engage the Board early so that Nigerian content is designed into every project from the start.”
The Director emphasized that early engagement between operators and the Board would help ensure that local capacity requirements are integrated into project planning rather than treated as an afterthought.
Industry analysts have long argued that while Nigeria has recorded notable gains in fabrication, engineering design and project support services, much of the manufacturing activity in the sector remains assembly-based, limiting the amount of value retained within the domestic economy.
Ajimijaye acknowledged this challenge, describing manufacturing and innovation as the “next frontier” for the country’s local content agenda.
He highlighted several initiatives undertaken by the Board to strengthen indigenous capacity, including strategic human capital development programmes delivered in partnership with major operators.
According to him, NCDMB has continued to invest heavily in workforce development through training schemes executed with industry partners such as Seplat Energy and Renaissance Africa Energy.
The Board, he said, is also working through universities and specialized centres of excellence established with partner institutions to promote research, innovation and practical problem-solving within the oil and gas sector.
Ajimijaye further pointed to financing support as a critical component of the Board’s strategy, noting that access to capital remains one of the biggest obstacles facing indigenous companies.
He said the Board has expanded funding opportunities through its intervention fund operated in partnership with the Bank of Industry and has also introduced dedicated financing windows to support women-owned businesses operating within the sector.
The NCDMB’s participation at OWI West Africa 2026 forms part of a wider agenda under the leadership of Executive Secretary, Engr. Felix Ogbe, to consolidate the gains achieved since the enactment of the NOGICD Act and position Nigerian companies as competitive regional players.
The Board believes that strengthening local capabilities will not only increase domestic value retention but also enable Nigerian firms to export services, expertise and technology to other markets across West Africa and beyond.
As competition intensifies across the global energy industry, Ajimijaye maintained that Nigeria’s future success would depend not only on the resources beneath its soil but also on the country’s ability to develop the technology, manufacturing base and human capital needed to transform those resources into sustainable economic value.
“We are building the capacity to lead,” he reiterated, underscoring the Board’s determination to move Nigerian content from compliance to competitiveness, and from participation to industry leadership.