Energy

By PR Nigeria’s mining industry is undergoing a dramatic transformation, driven by targeted local content policies from the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB). These policies, showcased at the African Natural Resources and Energy Investment Summit in Abuja, are now being hailed as a blueprint for industrial growth across Africa. At the heart of the reforms is the Board’s strategic intervention in the barite value chain — a mineral critical to oil and gas drilling. Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Felix Ogbe, outlined how the agency has spent more than a decade building domestic capacity, from certifying reserves in six states to mandating exclusive procurement from local processors through the Nigerian Content Equipment Certificate (NCEC). “Today, barite import...

By PR The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board has introduced the Nigerian Content Fund Clearance Certificate(NCFCC) as a mandatory compliance document for contractors and operators in the oil and gas sector. The certificate was launched during a Stakeholders’ Sensitization workshop held in, Lagos, where the Board also showcased an upgraded Nigerian Content Development Fund payment portal and a revised Community Contractors Finance Scheme. The NCFCC is now a prerequisite for contract bidding, project approvals, and Board certifications in the oil and gas industry. It forms a core part of NCDMB’s regulatory drive to ensure full compliance with statutory financial contributions as stipulated by section 104 of the Nigerian Oil and ...

By Ali Elias In a fresh move to strengthen indigenous participation in the nation’s oil and gas sector, the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has unveiled key reforms aimed at enhancing regulatory compliance and improving access to funding for local operators. Delivering the keynote on behalf of the Executive Secretary, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, FNSE, at a sensitization workshop held on Tuesday, July 8, at the Oriental Hotel, Lekki, Lagos, Mr. Mubarak Zubair, General Manager of Finance and Accounts, described the initiative as “a reaffirmation of the Board’s commitment to building systems that work not only for today but for the future of Nigerian Content.” The workshop attracted key NCDMB management staff including Eneh Etteh, Bisi Okunola, Joseph Adebayo...

By PR The recently held 2025 Nigeria Oil and Gas (NOG) Conference in Abuja highlighted the pivotal role of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) in advancing local content policies and driving Nigeria’s energy sector transformation. At different sessions at the conference, leaders of the of the Nigerian oil and gas industry lauded the contributions of NCDMB and highlighted the impact the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act has played in transforming the oil and gas landscape, emphasising the need for continued support by Government and other stakeholders.  Through strategic initiatives, partnerships, and policy advocacy, NCDMB has empowered indigenous companies, fostered economic resilience, an...

....Revamps N50bn Community Contractors Fund By PR The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has pledged its full commitment to implementing the recently introduced “Nigeria First” policy, a key directive of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration aimed at boosting local production and patronage of locally made goods and services, reducing dependence on imported items. The Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe made this commitment at the opening ceremony of the ongoing NOG Energy Week in Abuja on Monday. He described the policy as a strong reinforcement of the Board’s core mandate of promoting Nigerian Content in the oil and gas industry. “For Nigeria, energy sufficiency goes beyond availability, it is about...

By PR At the NOG Energy Week in Abuja, industry leaders robustly defended Nigeria’s local content policy, rejecting claims that it inflates business costs in the oil and gas sector. They cautioned that such criticisms jeopardize the nation’s industrial progress and lauded the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) for its pivotal role in building indigenous capacity and fostering innovation. During a panel session titled “Technology as a Business Strategy”, panellists championed NCDMB’s contributions, emphasizing its success in driving local expertise and technological advancement. Dr. Daere Akobo, Group Chief Executive Officer of Pana Holdings, dismissed critiques of local content as arguing that its benefits to Nigeria’s economy far outweigh any perceived cost...

By Ono Yima Nigeria's upstream oil sector is showing renewed momentum as the number of active oil rigs operating in the country rose to 44 in July, up from 32 in May 2025 — a 37.5% increase. This growth comes amid intensified efforts by the Federal Government to curb oil theft through kinetic and non-kinetic interventions. The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), which disclosed this on Tuesday at the NOG Energy Week in Abuja, also revealed that a total of N326.51 billion has been disbursed to 145 Host Community Development Trusts (HCDTs) established under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA). According to NUPRC Chief Executive, Engr. Gbenga Komolafe, the funds represent the mandatory 3% of oil and gas companies’ operational expenditure (OPEX) and were sourced fr...

By Ono Yima | Abuja The Federal Government has declared an end to the longstanding practice of awarding oil field licenses to companies that fail to develop them, in a bold move to ramp up national crude oil production and meet the country’s 2025 budgetary and OPEC targets.Speaking at the 2025 Nigeria Oil and Gas Energy Week in Abuja, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, announced that the government would no longer tolerate dormant oil fields and unproductive license holders. “It is no longer acceptable for critical national resources to remain in the hands of companies that lack the technical or financial capacity to optimize them,” Lokpobiri said. “Or worse, those who use such licenses merely as a lever to access scarce capital, only to dive...

By Ono Yima | Abuja Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, has reiterated the Board’s commitment to achieving energy sufficiency in Nigeria through deeper investments in local capacity development.Delivering the welcome address at the 24th edition of the Nigeria Oil and Gas (NOG) Energy Week Conference and Exhibition holding in Abuja, Ogbe emphasized that Nigeria’s energy future rests on its ability to harness and prioritize indigenous resources, capabilities, and enterprises. “Local content is not just a policy, it is a strategic imperative,” Ogbe declared, speaking at the newly renovated Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre. The theme of this year’s Nigerian Content Seminar, “Achieving Energy ...

Revamps N50bn Community Contractors Fund Front row, 3rd right: Executive Secretary NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe By PR The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has pledged its full commitment to implementing the recently introduced “Nigeria First” policy, a key directive of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration aimed at boosting local production and patronage of locally made goods and services, reducing dependence on imported items. The Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe made this commitment at the opening ceremony of the ongoing NOG Energy Week in Abuja on Monday. He described the policy as a strong reinforcement of the Board’s core mandate of promoting Nigerian Content in the oil and gas industry. “For Nigeria, energy suf...