Energy
Research Imperatives: NCDMB Hosts Oil Industry Players, Academia
Top Oil and Gas Industry stakeholders are together with leading academics in three-day Research and Development (R&D) workshop on with special focus on needs-driven research, deepening collaboration and linkages.
The zonal workshop, which commenced on Tuesday, sponsored by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) is holding at the Niger Delta University (NDU), Amassoma.
The Corporate Communications Department of the NCDMB made the disclosure in a statement on Wednesday.
Biztellers reports that the workshop provides a forum for discussions and demonstration of research breakthroughs on software and hardware as they relate to oil and gas industry needs, bioremediation and related oil field chemicals solutions, including additives and drilling fluids, and renewable solutions to meet industry needs.
Scheduled to be hosted in the six geopolitical zones of the country by NCDMB Centres of Excellence in six universities, the workshop is also intended to enhance capacity building of research directors and lecturers, particularly in writing and reading compelling research proposals.
In a keynote address at the Workshop, the Executive Secretary of the NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, said the Board was empowered by Sections 36-39 and 70 (m) of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act, 2010, to “coordinate and superintend over research and development towards the further attainment of the goal of developing Nigerian content in the Nigerian oil and gas industry.”
According to him, “critical gaps hampering the research climate in our sector,” notably, “lack of research infrastructure, funding and weak commercial frameworks,” had been identified in the Board’s 10-Year Strategic Road Map, which had been developed in 2017. Appropriate measures to close such gaps were also identified.
He noted that “the establishment of Research Centres of Excellence in the six geopolitical zones of the country and establishment of the R&D Fund to stimulate research in the oil and gas sector” were some of the measures recommended to remedy the identified gaps. The Nigerian Content Research and Development Fund,” he explained, was launched by the Board in 2021 “with an initial seed capital of $50 million.”
Highlighting a major success in research-related endeavours of the NCDMB, Engr. Ogbe said the actualization of the commissioning of the Amal Technology Printed Circuit 2 Board Manufacturing Facility in Abuja was a result of research commercialisation, “amplified in the NCDMB Technology Innovation and Incubation policy which created the Technology Innovation and Incubation Centre inside the Nigerian Content Towers at Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
The ES was represented by the Director of Planning, Research and Statistics, NCDMB, Mr Isaac Yalah, and he pointed out that the Board created six research centres of excellence hosted by tertiary institutions in different geopolitical zones.
These are NDU, which hosts a Centre of Excellence for Engineering Studies; Federal University of Technology (FUT), Akure; FUT, Owerri, and FUT, Minna, with Centres of Excellence in Geology and Geophysical Studies, Local Raw Materials Substitution, and Technology Development, Studies, respectively. Modibbo Adama University of Technology, Yola, hosts Safety and Environment Studies, while Usman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto, hosts Renewable Energy.
In setting the context of the event, NCDMB’s Director of Planning, Research and Statistics, Mr Isaac Yalah, described the Workshop as “a journey towards fostering collaboration and linkage between industry, academia and government,” which he noted are critical to the nation’s quest for economic development.
He said it is important to address the challenge, “How do we bring industry experts to enhance learning in universities?” noting that training and manpower development would be greatly boosted through such an approach. He recalled his own experience in South Korea in the past, where he observed that students in tertiary institutions were focused on solving industry problems.
According to him, with such an orientation, “Together, we [industry, academia and government] can unlock new frontiers of development.”
In Welcome Remarks, the Vice Chancellor, NDU, Prof Allen Aziba-Odumosu Agih, represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Administration), Prof Jonah Akekere, expressed the joy of the institution’s Management in playing host to participants, while commending the NCDMB for its initiatives in human capital development.
He said the University greatly appreciates the Centre of Excellence status it enjoys as well as the partnership that has been fostered by the Board over the years.
He cited computers donated to the university by the NCDMB to aid Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and digital penetration in the university community and its environs.
In a charge to all stakeholders, Prof Akekere declared: “Let the output of resource persons [at the Workshop] be sold to industry.”
Earlier in a programme overview, the Managing Director, Wider Perspectives Ltd., facilitators of the event, Mrs. Edughom Hanson, said interactions between oil and gas industry players, academics and policy-makers are vital for the successes the country seeks in national development.
She noted that, among other objectives, the Workshop seeks to build the capacity of research directors and lecturers in writing and reading compelling research proposals.
“There are a lot of opportunities, a lot of grants that can be accessed out there for research purposes,” she stated, adding, “But the way you write the proposals matter.”
Presentations at the Technical Sessions include “Innovation on Software Development: Success Factors, Constraints and Look Ahead”; “Innovation on Hardware Development: Success Factors, Constraints, and Look Ahead”; “Innovations on Oil Field Chemical
Development: Success Factors, Constraints, and Look Ahead,” and “Available Funding on Research and Development: Impact and Accessibility.”
Resource persons are Mr ThankGod Egbe, Managing Director, CypherCrescent, Dr Keluo Chukwuogu, Founder/CEO, Boskel Nigeria Ltd.; Jonathan Amarachi Njoku, Manager, Planning, Research and Statistics, NCDMB; Prof Joel Ogbonna, Commissioner for Petroleum Resources, Abia State; Mr Pacqueens Irabor, Manager South, Bank of Industry; Prof Yelebe Zekieni Robert, Director, NCDMB Centre of Excellence, NDU; Silas Omomehin Ajimijaye, General Manager, Research, Statistics & Development, NCDMB, and Prof (Mrs) Iheoma M. Adekunle, Director, Consultancy and Institutional Advancement, Federal University, Otuoke.
Oil output from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) rose to record levels in September, underscoring its resilience even amidst the Middle East crises and liberation from OPEC+ limits.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) issued the data in its monthly report, adding that Abu Dhabi raised total oil production, including condensates, by 400,000 bpd to 5.3 MMbpd.
According to the IEA, the UAE bolstered crude output to more than 4.4 MMbpd, nearing its maximum capacity, which surpasses the previous highs for total oil in August, and crude oil in June.
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The UAE has been one of the most successful among regional producers in restoring flows through the Strait of Hormuz, by drawing on a fleet of tankers to discreetly shuttle cargoes through the chokepoint and then transfer them onto other vessels. In addition, the country’s decision to leave the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) as of May has freed it from the group’s output caps, a source of frustration for years.
Its gains contributed to a wider recovery in flows from Gulf producers, which reached more than 75% of pre-war levels in September, led by Saudi Arabia, according to the Paris-based IEA.
Still, it’s unclear how far the regional rebound has withstood a new wave of Iranian attacks on tankers transiting Hormuz, and escalating hostilities carried out by the Houthi rebel faction in Yemen.
The UAE depleted its observable above-ground inventories at a record pace of more than 270,000 bpd in September, drawing them to an all-time low, according to the IEA.
Africa’s gas potential and strengthening the continent’s energy security would take centre stage at the Africa Interviews Sustainability Forum (AISF 2026) scheduled for Wednesday, October 21, in Lagos.
Biztellers reports that top officials of Oando Plc and Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited, Ayotola Jagun and Tony Attah, respectively, will be leading other industry leaders in the discussion.
Jagun, Oando’s Executive Director, Chief Corporate Services and Sustainability Officer, and Attah, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited, will participate in a panel discussion alongside Lamé Verre of Lean In Equity & Sustainability (LiNES) and Dapo Filani, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Waltersmith.
The panel will examine Africa’s energy security and the role of natural gas in the continent’s energy transition.
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The forum, launched in 2024, is holding its third edition under the theme, “Energy Security and Africa’s Energy Transition: Defining the Role of Gas.”
This year’s gathering will explore how African countries can strengthen energy security, attract investment in gas development and balance growing energy demand with sustainability objectives.
Verre, a London-based energy and sustainability executive, is Co-founder and Chair of the Advisory Board of LiNES. She will bring her international experience in sustainability, decarbonisation and low-carbon development to the discussion. Her work spans low-carbon initiatives across sectors, including marine, the built environment, forestry, land and agriculture.
Jagun brings extensive experience in corporate governance, regulatory compliance, enterprise risk management and sustainability. Her contribution will provide a corporate sustainability and governance perspective on the relationship between energy development, environmental responsibility and Africa’s transition priorities.
Attah, a former Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Nigeria LNG Limited, has extensive experience in the oil and gas industry, particularly in natural gas development and major energy operations.
Filani leads Waltersmith, an indigenous Nigerian energy company with interests across the oil and gas value chain. His participation will highlight the role of indigenous energy companies in strengthening domestic energy capacity and supporting economic development.
The panel will consider what is required to unlock greater investment in Africa’s gas sector, how natural gas can support industrial growth while advancing sustainability, and what practical measures could help translate the continent’s energy ambitions into tangible outcomes.
Beyond the panel discussion, AISF 2026 will provide opportunities for engagement among senior energy executives, policymakers, investors and business leaders.
Oil prices on Monday went south, after crude exports from the Middle East rose above pre-war levels, while the Group of Seven nations pledged to release 100 million barrels of crude and diesel from emergency reserves.
Brent crude futures fell by $1.20, or 1.17 percent, to $101.05 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate crude declined by $1.16, or 1.27 percent, to $89.95 per barrel, according to Reuters.
Middle Eastern crude exports exceeded pre-war levels on four of the seven days in the final week of September, shipping data showed, despite attacks on vessels passing through the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
The increase in exports, combined with the G7’s planned release of emergency stocks, helped put downward pressure on crude prices.
The G7 countries agreed on Friday to release 100 million barrels of diesel and crude from emergency reserves and pledged to refrain from energy export restrictions following pressure from United States President Donald Trump.
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However, the scale of the additional supply remained uncertain.
IEA Executive Director, Fatih Birol, said last week that member countries had already released about two-thirds of the 400-million-barrel volume.
Meanwhile, supply concerns remained elevated as fighting continued across parts of the Middle East.
Saudi Aramco Chief Executive Officer, Amin Nasser, also warned that crude oil and refined fuel supplies were expected to remain stretched.
He said rebuilding global stockpiles after emergency withdrawals could take two years.
The United States Strategic Petroleum Reserve fell to 283 million barrels last week, its lowest level since October 1982, according to data from the US Department of Energy.
The supply outlook was further complicated by the continuing conflict involving Saudi Arabia and Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen.
Yemeni government forces attacked Houthi positions in the Dhubab district overlooking the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on Monday, according to two military sources.
The development came a day after the internationally recognised government launched a campaign to retake Houthi-held territory.
Meanwhile, OPEC+ postponed a review that would determine its 2027 oil output quotas after the war involving Iran disrupted projects aimed at expanding production capacity across the Middle East.
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