The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has called for an Africa-wide local content framework to harmonise policies and foster cross-border partnership for mutual prosperity in the continent.
Felix Ogbe, NCDMB’s Executive Secretary, who made this submission at the 2025 Nigeria International Energy Summit (NIES) on Monday – yesterday, February 24 – in Abuja, the FCT, said the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) presents an excellent opportunity to position local content as a driver of continental industrialisation.
Billed for three days – from yesterday, Monday February 24 to Thursday, February 27 under the theme. “Bridging Continents: Connecting Investors Worldwide with Africa’s Energy Potential,” the summit also provides an opportunity for energy industry leaders, investors, policy makers and stakeholders in Africa to share technology, expertise, products and best practices.
Ogbe spoke on “Unlocking Africa’s Potential through Local Content: Policies, Partnerships, and Progress.”
“NCDMB remains committed to working with our African counterparts to share best practices, co-develop industrial hubs, and create synergies that benefit the wider energy landscape,” he said.
“Unlocking Africa’s potential through local content requires unwavering commitment to capacity building, policy refinement, and strategic partnerships.
“I call on all industry stakeholders to strengthen collaboration and invest in initiatives that will make Africa self-sufficient in energy development,” he said.
Ogbe said the NCDMB, as Nigeria’s pre-eminent local content regulator, had been at the forefront of implementing initiatives that drive local capacity development in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, noting that some of the government policies had helped to shape the landscape and enabled pivotal public private partnerships.
“Local Content is not just a policy – it is a strategy for sustainable economic growth.
“At NCDMB, through strategic initiatives, we have become a model for the continent. We have demonstrated how capacity building, policy refinement, and joint partnerships can create a thriving, self-sustaining oil and gas ecosystem,” he said.
Ogbe said the board prioritised developing indigenous skills, assets and equipment ownership, and local manufacturing capabilities. explaining that one of its flagship initiatives to support the above priorities is the Nigerian Content Intervention Fund (NCIF), which provides affordable financing to support indigenous businesses in acquiring assets, expanding operations, and delivering world-class services.
He said that under the board’s Human Capacity Development (HCD) programmes, the NCDMB has also continued to train thousands of Nigerians in specialised skills that are aligned with industry needs.
These efforts, he said, ensure that Nigeria’s energy sector is not only driven by local talent but also sustained by indigenous expertise.
The board developed the Project 100 Initiative, targeting capacity development for indigenous service companies with the aim of growing them to become multinational firms in the future, Ogbe stressed.
“The Board provides opportunities by linking Project 100 companies to major operators. We also have business-to-business and market opportunities for these companies across the sub region,” he was quoted by the News Agency of Nigeria as surmising.
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