NCDMB urges African oil firms to team up for cross-border projects

By Firdaus Jibril

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has urged African oil and gas companies to form cross-border partnerships and jointly execute major projects to create an integrated local content market across the continent.

The Board highlighted that African operators can unlock significant opportunities through joint ventures, consortium bidding, subcontracting arrangements, and reciprocal market access.

The call was made during a strategic engagement on African local content opportunities in Windhoek, Namibia, where the NCDMB showcased Nigeria’s milestones in building indigenous energy capacity.

Representing the NCDMB Executive Secretary, Felix Omatsola Ogbe, Dr. Abdulmalik Halilu noted that African nations must look beyond isolated national policies and leverage capabilities across borders.

He emphasized that while the continent possesses strong expertise in fabrication, engineering, manufacturing, subsea services, and marine operations, greater regional synergy is needed to scale these capacities.

Halilu proposed models such as prime-subcontractor frameworks, incorporated joint ventures, and reciprocal alliances, while advocating for harmonized regulations, customs facilitation, immigration reforms, and access to competitive financing.

He also recommended establishing a Pan-African supplier database and an interactive opportunities portal to connect indigenous firms with continental prospects under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) framework.

At the 2026 Namibia Oil and Gas Conference, NCDMB Director of Monitoring and Evaluation, Esueme Dan Kikile, reiterated the importance of supplier development and skills transfer.

During the exhibition, Namibia’s Vice President, Lucia Witbooi, visited the NCDMB pavilion, where the Board demonstrated the operational impact of Nigeria’s Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act.