Nigerian content rises to 61%, eyes global market- NCDMB
The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has said Nigerian content in the oil and gas industry has risen from five per cent in 2010 to 61 per cent, with the agency now targeting greater global competitiveness for indigenous oilfield service companies.
The General Manager, Corporate Communications, NCDMB, Dr Obinna Ezeobi, disclosed this on Thursday at the 2026 Energy Conference of the Nigerian Association of Energy Correspondents (NAEC).
Ezeobi said the next phase of Nigerian content development would focus on moving beyond participation in domestic projects to building companies capable of competing and exporting their expertise internationally.
“We have done 15 years. The next discussion is: what is the next frontier of Nigerian content?
“The next 20 years are about being competitive. Being competitive and being able to operate not just in Nigeria, but also across the globe,” he said.
According to him, Nigerian companies have built significant capacity over the years, but must now become competitive enough to secure opportunities beyond the domestic market.
“It is not enough to have capacity to operate in Nigeria. It is not enough to have Nigerian content products. Going forward, we are saying that Nigerian companies need to be competitive, to be able to operate across the globe. And that is the next frontier,” Ezeobi said.
He said the NCDMB had supported the growth of local capacity through initiatives covering skills development, funding, infrastructure, research and development, and partnerships.
Ezeobi said more than 10,000 Nigerians had been trained in critical oil and gas skills over the past 15 years, while about 17,000 Nigerians were currently registered on a skills development platform designed to prepare young people for opportunities arising from new investments and Final Investment Decisions in the sector.
“We are identifying the skills required to operate those projects and providing dedicated training for young Nigerians in those fields,” he said.
On financing, Ezeobi said the NCDMB was using the Nigerian Content Intervention Fund to improve access to capital for indigenous oilfield service companies.
He said the fund included $250 million managed by the Bank of Industry and another $150 million managed by the Nigerian Export-Import Bank to support Nigerian businesses.
He added that the board was supporting the development of oil and gas parks to enable the local manufacture of equipment and other critical components required by the industry.
Ezeobi said the NCDMB was also promoting research and development, partnerships with foreign companies and the expansion of Nigerian businesses into other African markets.
He said the board recently hosted a delegation from the Republic of Congo to share Nigeria’s experience in local content development, while it also facilitated engagements between Nigerian companies and original equipment manufacturers in China.
According to him, the initiatives are designed to expand Nigerians’ access to opportunities across the oil and gas value chain and strengthen the capacity of local businesses.
Ezeobi said the rise in Nigerian content from five per cent in 2010 to 61 per cent reflected significant progress since the enactment of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act.
He, however, said the industry must now focus on developing companies with the technical capacity, skills and agility to compete in international markets.
“The next frontier is about competitiveness, making Nigerian companies develop the ability, the agility, the capacity, the skills and technical know-how that can put us in a position to operate across the globe, be competitive and export our capacities around the world,” he said.
Ezeobi said the NCDMB would continue to work with NAEC to promote awareness of developments in the Nigerian content sector, strengthen compliance and identify new opportunities for growth.
