The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has commenced efforts to strengthen local manufacturing of critical oil and gas equipment, including pumps, valves, flanges, gaskets, bolts, nuts and metering solutions, as part of its drive to increase indigenous participation in the petroleum industry.
The board disclosed this on Tuesday during an engagement with industry stakeholders in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, where participants discussed strategies for implementing recommendations from a study on building domestic capacity to manufacture oil and gas equipment.
The Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, was represented at the event by the General Manager of Infrastructure and Enterprise Development in the Capacity Building Directorate, Mr. Olugbenga Sheba, who delivered the keynote address.
Ogbe described the commencement of the implementation phase as an important step towards expanding local industrial capacity, promoting economic development and retaining more value within Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
“Today marks a significant milestone in our collective journey toward deepening local capacity, fostering industrialisation, and maximising value retention within the Nigerian oil and gas industry,” he said.
He explained that the study was designed to identify gaps in existing manufacturing capacity, structural challenges and opportunities for developing domestic production across the industry’s supply chain.
According to him, the report was developed through extensive research, data gathering, analysis and consultations with industry stakeholders.
The NCDMB chief said the findings would guide efforts to reduce dependence on foreign expertise and imported equipment while creating greater opportunities for indigenous businesses.
“Our mandate at the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board is to transform our oil and gas sector from an enclave economy reliant on foreign expertise into an inclusive, locally driven engine of national growth,” Ogbe stated.
He added that the board remained committed to ensuring that Nigerian companies had the necessary opportunities and support to expand their operations and compete more effectively.
Ogbe further noted that the implementation exercise was linked to the NCDMB’s 10-Year Strategic Roadmap, which sets a target of achieving 70 per cent Nigerian content in the oil and gas industry by 2027.
He stressed that achieving the objective would require cooperation among manufacturers, operators, service companies and other stakeholders across the petroleum value chain.
“The implementation of this Study Report requires total buy-in and active collaboration across all tiers of the industry,” he said.
He also pledged that the board would continue to support indigenous businesses by simplifying approval procedures, improving access to market opportunities and providing frameworks to encourage local industrial development.
The executive secretary urged stakeholders to work together towards the objectives of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act 2010, which provides the statutory framework for promoting Nigerian participation in the oil and gas sector.
He said successful implementation of the report’s recommendations would help establish a more resilient and competitive domestic manufacturing industry, reduce reliance on imported equipment and strengthen Nigeria’s capacity to retain greater economic value from its petroleum resources.
The engagement marks a step in the board’s efforts to translate the study’s findings into practical measures to expand local manufacturing and advance its 2027 Nigerian content target.
