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Stakeholders Hail NCDMB As Local Content Level Hits 56%
The Nigerian Content performance level in the oil and gas industry has hit 56 percent in 2024, the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe announced on Tuesday.
He made the revelation at the 13th Practical Nigerian Content (PNC) Conference and Exhibition holding at the NCDMB Conference Centre, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
The event was graced by top government officials including the Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri and the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Rt. Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo.
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Other industry leaders in attendance included the Chairperson, Senate Committee on Local Content, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, chairperson, House of Representatives Committee on Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring, Hon. Boma Goodhead, the Secretary General of the African Petroleum Producers Organisation (APPO), Dr. Umar Farouk Ibrahim and chief executives of international and indigenous oil and gas companies and operating and regulatory agencies in the petroleum sector.
The Nigerian Content performance level is calculated on year-on-year basis by the Monitoring and Evaluation Directorate of the NCDMB and is anchored on the ongoing projects in the upstream, midstream and downstream segments of the oil and gas industry.
Data is aggregated from total amounts expended on projects and the Nigerian Content component of the annual spend. The data is mined from statutory reports submitted by companies and the integrity those data is verified during Nigerian Content performance reviews and workshops and they must sync with the Nigerian Content Compliance Certificates (NCCC) on projects approved by the Board.
The Nigerian Content level stood at 54 percent as at December 2022 and 2023, increasing significantly from 26 percent in 2016 before the introduction of the Nigerian Content 10-year strategic roadmap. The latest increase marks a significant milestone in the Board’s march toward 70 percent Nigerian Content by 2027 as set out in its 10-Year Strategic Road Map (2017-2027).
The NCDMB boss also revealed that 312 Nigerian Content Plans have thus far been approved by the Board and that 402 Nigerian Content Compliance Certificates (NCCCs) were issued. Also, that the new Project Certification and Authorisation Directorate (PCAD) guidelines has reduced the Board’s touchpoints from nine to five, and the contracting cycle cut to six months, he confirmed.
Engr. Ogbe and a representative of the Bank of Industry (BoI) used the PNC Forum to sign an agreement on the Revised Nigerian Content Community Contractors Financing Scheme. The Fund addresses a critical challenge faced by local contractors in accessing much-needed funds for contracts awarded by oil and gas companies.
Under the new product paper for the fund, N15 billion has been earmarked for the fund and “the single obligor limit has been increased from N20 million to N100 million,” Ogbe hinted.
On the Nigerian Content Academy recently established by the Board for training to prepare Nigerians through a range of courses that cover every aspect of the oil and gas industry, from upstream exploration to downstream processing, he said new career paths and economic opportunities are being opened for local communities. The Academy was unveiled by the Ministers as part of activities marking the Forum.
The Executive Secretary gave insight into the Back-to-the-Creeks Initiative which focuses on taking Nigerian Content benefits to local communities, especially developing basic educational facilities in communities and equipping youths in host communities with the skills needed to meet industry demands, and thus directly supporting the local content drive.
In his address, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Rt. Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo, commended NCDMB for systematically aligning its local content policy initiatives with Federal Government’s gas development agenda.
The Minister listed the NCDMB’s support for compressed natural gas (CNG) projects, modular gas processing plants, manufacturing plants for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders, LPG depots, LPG terminals, LPG storage and bottling plants, gas gathering facilities, smart gas and detector alarm services, as critically important areas where the Board’s strategic intervention has made huge gains for the country.
He disclosed that “in the last 12 months, two critical gas projects were completed,” namely, SEPLAT Assa North and Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) Ohaji South, with a combined capacity of 600 million standard cubic feet/day. Also, the 300 MMscfd Kwale Gas Gathering (KGG) Hub and Injection Facility, jointly executed by Xenergy Limited and the NCDMB, were commissioned within the same period.
While reiterating that “gas will be the mainstay of Nigeria’s energy shift” as the world transits to renewables, he stated that Government is “giving local businesses a chance to engage in gas distribution, processing, and power generation.”
With specific reference to the PNC Forum, he said the theme “Defining the Next Frontier for Nigerian Content Implementation” is “a call to action and a reaffirmation of Nigeria’s commitment to leveraging our local capabilities to drive energy security, economic growth, and environment sustainability.”
He charged the organisers of the Forum, namely, NCDMB and DMG Events Limited, to ensure that the event functions as “a spur for practical ideas that move our country closer to a promising and sustainable energy future.”
Also speaking at the event, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, commended the NCDMB for organising the Forum and for significant milestones recorded thus far since its establishment in 2010.
He revealed that wherever he has been across Africa for oil and gas-related events, other countries want to come to Nigeria to learn from its local content success story.
On divestments by international oil and gas companies (IOCs) in the country, he said there is no reason to be alarmed as indigenous operating companies have adequately filled the gaps and thus significantly increased the country’s stake in the industry.
He said that the affected IOCs have not left the country but simply moved their investments and operations from onshore to deep offshore.
The Minister urged industry players to be strategic in their thinking, noting that “quality, standards and capacity developed have to be sustained” if the country is to be able to sustain the gains made so far.
With regard to strategies to deal with the decline in funding of oil and gas projects in Africa, in the wake of the global de-emphasis of fossil fuels, the Secretary General of the African Petroleum Producers Organisation (APPO), Dr. Umar Farouk Ibrahim, said the Africa Energy Bank (AEB) would be taking off in the second quarter of 2025, with the signing and ratification of the Establishment Agreement by the required number of countries.
Its headquarters is to be located in Abuja.
In his remarks, the Bayelsa State Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, commended the NCDMB and industry stakeholders for putting together the event, and for the collaboration that has yielded remarkable developments in the petroleum industry.
He, however, reminded the industry captains that Bayelsa State accounts for about 60 percent of the gas feedstock for the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Project, Bonny, which has now progressed to Train 7, and thus deserves to have a train built within its territory.
In the Organiser’s Welcome Address, Wemimo Oyelana, Country Director (Nigeria) and Portfolio Director (Africa), DMG Nigeria Limited, said the theme of the Forum was “designed to spark forward-looking and transformative discussions,” and that “As the Nigerian energy sector continues to evolve, it is critical to address the next steps in advancing Nigerian Content.”
Other speakers included the Chairperson, Senate Committee on Local Content, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, her counterpart in the House of Representatives, Hon. Boma Goodhead, the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, the Group Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Engr. Gbenga Komolafe, and his Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Engr Farouk Ahmed.
The PNC continues on Wednesday at the Nigerian Content Tower, Yenagoa and ends on Thursday with a visit to First Marine and Engineering Services Limited base in Swali, Yenagoa.
Following observed mis-steps, the Federal Government of Nigeria has withdrawn the eight-count criminal charge brought against the alleged fake Director General (DG) of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), Adeniyi Adeyemi.
Biztellers reports that the matter, in accordance with the counsel of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Olasunkanmi Fagbemi, (SAN), the matter will be filed at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), instead of the Federal High Court (FHC).
Consequently, upon an unopposed application for termination by the prosecution counsel and Director of the Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF), Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), on Monday, Justice Mohammed Umar of a Federal High Court, Abuja on Monday, struck out the matter.
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In a motion for the termination of the charges, Oyedepo informed the court that the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice has carried out a review of the case file of Adeyemi and the charge filed by the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and found some loopholes.
The DPPF added that the documents allegedly forged by Adeyemi during his operations of the fake agency are those that can be prosecuted by the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
He also informed the court that a new charge has been filed at the High Court of the FCT and that Adeyemi would be expeditiously arraigned afresh.
He therefore urged the judge to strike out the charge as required by law.
Following no objections from Ibrahim Angulu (SAN), who stood in for Adeyemi, Justice Umar subsequently terminated the charge.
Adeniyi, 38, was being tried alongside two others whose whereabouts are unknown, on charges bordering on conspiracy and forgery.
The two others said to be at large were identified as Femi (surname unknown) and Anu (surname unknown).
The charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/25/2025, was entered against the defendant by the DPPF.
To secure a bright energy for her teeming population, Nigeria must sustain the momentum of reform, accelerate investment, and deepen partnerships.
This view was expressed by Managing Director, Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company of Nigeria Limited (SNEPCo) Ronald Adams in Lagos at the weekend.
Delivering a keynote address at the Africa Energy Conference (AEC) of the Lagos Business School (LBS), Adams called for regulatory certainty through efficient execution of reforms, sustained investment appeal to enable projects to move more swiftly from opportunity to production and partnership by operators, regulators, NNPC Limited and communities to unlock the full value of Nigeria’s resources.
Adams cited Nigeria’s huge oil and gas resources as an advantage but pointed out: “Resources alone do not guarantee prosperity. Prosperity comes when resources are matched with investment, technology, sound policy and disciplined execution. Success will be determined not by the size of our resources, but by our ability to convert them into investment and economic growth.”
Adams pledged the support of Shell towards a bright energy future of Nigerians. He said: “For more than six decades, Shell has been part of Nigeria’s energy journey. Together with our partners, we have helped develop major energy infrastructure, supported Nigerian businesses, invested in talent, and contributed to economic development. Bonga remains a powerful example of what technology, partnership and Nigerian capability can achieve in deepwater operations. Today, that story continues through Bonga North.”
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Issuing a clarion call for action by all stakeholders, he added: “The world is not standing still. Capital is moving, technology is advancing and competition is intensifying. The countries that attract investment tomorrow are those that improve competitiveness today. Nigeria has begun that journey. Our task is to sustain the momentum and translate reform into projects, projects into growth, and growth into shared prosperity.”
The conference, the 4th in the series had at its theme; “Securing Nigeria’s Energy Future: Policy Reform, Capital Mobilisation, and Pathways to a Sustainable Power and Energy Market” and was attended by top government officials, industry captains, energy professionals, and students.
Lagos State Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat represented Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu as the guest of honour. SNEPCo was a principal sponsor of the Africa Energy Conference (AEC) and mounted a well-received exhibition on its deepwater operations and social investments across Nigeria.
Katsina State Governor, Dikko Umaru Radda, has flagged off the disbursement of ₦689.79 million in bursary payments to 19,318 continuing students across 97 institutions for the 2025/2026 academic session.
The disbursement follows a 100 per cent increase in academic bursary rates, marking the first adjustment since 2007.
The latest payment forms part of the state government’s broader investment in education and student welfare, with cumulative bursary disbursements and related student awards under the administration reaching ₦3.29 billion.
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More than 174,000 beneficiary payments have been recorded across successive payment cycles.
Increased Allowances for Veterinary and Law Students
Under the revised scholarship support framework, allowances for Veterinary Medicine students have increased by 150 per cent for students in the 300 and 400 levels and by 200 per cent for those in the 500 and 600 levels.
Support for Nigerian Law School students and academic excellence awards has also continued.
The state government has also approved a scholarship programme for 1,700 students, with 50 beneficiaries drawn from each of the state’s 34 local government areas.
The programme is designed to support tuition fees, registration and other educational expenses.
₦6bn Scholarship Trust Fund
The government has made provision for ₦6 billion in seed funding for a scholarship trust fund intended to strengthen educational financing.
The fund is expected to support specialised scholarship opportunities in fields including engineering, medicine, Artificial Intelligence and mechatronics.
The state’s foreign scholarship initiatives have also supported 118 students studying Medicine, Artificial Intelligence and Bioengineering in Egypt, Ethiopia and China, with approved educational and living expenses covered by the government.
More Scholarship Opportunities
Other educational support initiatives include 34 maritime scholarship beneficiaries and seven students receiving 50 per cent financial support at the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Zaria.
The state has also nominated 34 candidates for MBBS studies in Russia, identified 70 prospective master’s degree candidates and selected 10 candidates for Qur’anic Sciences scholarships in Ghana.
These initiatives form part of the state’s broader efforts to expand access to education across different fields and levels of study.
Scholarship Board Strengthens Accountability
The Katsina State Scholarship Board has also strengthened its application, verification and payment systems.
As part of its accountability measures, the board interviewed more than 14,925 fresh applicants and returned approximately ₦86 million in unclaimed funds to the state government.
The state also acknowledged the contributions of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) in expanding access to educational financing and digital learning resources.
Radda Inaugurates Tinubu/Dikko Education Beneficiary Network
As part of the activities, Radda inaugurated the Tinubu/Dikko Education Beneficiary Network (TDEBNET), a voluntary organisation comprising parents and beneficiaries of educational programmes.
Members of the organisation expressed support for the re-election bids of Radda and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027.
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