The Nigerian Content penetration for the year 2024 has hit 56%. The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Engr Felix Omatsola Ogbe made this known at the ongoing Practical Nigerian Content Forum holding in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
The recent figure represents a 2% growth from 54% recorded in the previous year.
Delivering his remarks at the Forum, the NCDMB ES reeled out some of the achievements of the board under his stewardship in the past one year.
He stated that some of the achievements of the board include; Commissioning of Amal Technologies in Idu, Abuja; and the Kwale Gas Gathering facility in Delta State, approval of 312 Nigerian Content Plans, and 402 Nigerian Content Compliance Certificates (NCCCs) were issued to the board amongst others.
The ES further revealed plans of the board to establish more Zonal offices and renovate existing offices to improve operational efficiency.
“As part of our commitment to further deepen Nigerian content in the oil and gas industry, we are committing to developing more conducive and befitting Zonal Offices. This will enable us to deploy our personnel across various Directorates to operate fully from our Zonal offices thereby making the Zonal offices to be fully operational,” he said.
Ogbe also announced new initiatives, such as the Back to the Creek program, designed to equip youths in oil-producing communities with skills for the energy sector.
Another highlight was the revised Community Contractors Financing Scheme, which now provides N15 billion in funding, raising the single obligor limit to N100 million to support local contractors.
The Nigerian Content Academy was also introduced as a cornerstone of the Board’s commitment to capacity development, offering comprehensive training in various aspects of the oil and gas value chain.
Additionally, Ogbe emphasised plans to enhance the functionality of the Board’s zonal offices, ensuring better service delivery nationwide.
Recognitions for the NCDMB’s exemplary performance included being ranked first in the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) and receiving the Nigeria GovTech Award.
Ogbe concluded with a call for collaboration and resilience, urging stakeholders to embrace innovation and action to elevate Nigeria’s local content standards further. The forum, attended by industry leaders and government officials, reinforced the importance of partnerships in achieving a sustainable and globally competitive oil and gas sector.