NCDMB boss makes case for unified local content framework in African’s oil industry

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has asked stakeholders to establish a unified local content framework for Africa’s oil and gas industry.

Felix Ogbe, the board’s executive secretary, spoke on Tuesday in Abuja, at the International Energy Summit (NIES 2025), making a case for the harmonisation of policies and strengthening of cross-border partnerships.

Ogbe said local content is a strategy for achieving sustainable economic growth, rather than just a policy.

“It is the foundation of economic transformation and energy security across Africa,” he said in a statement on Thursday.

The NCDMB boss stated that the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) provides an opportunity to position local content as a key driver of industrialisation, adding that leveraging policies, partnerships, and progress would unlock Africa’s vast energy potential.

“Across our continent, we are blessed with abundant natural resources, yet the true measure of wealth lies not in extraction but how we harness, retain, and multiply value within our economies,” he said.

“Unlocking Africa’s potential through local content requires unwavering commitment to capacity building, policy refinement, and strategic partnerships.”

Ogbe said as global energy transitions and market dynamics continue to evolve, African nations must remain steadfast in their efforts to maximise local value addition.

He assured stakeholders that the board would collaborate with African counterparts to share best practices, co-develop industrial hubs, and create synergies that benefit the continent’s energy sector.

‘TINUBU’S EXECUTIVE ORDER BOOSTED INVESTOR CONFIDENCE’

Ogbe praised President Bola Tinubu for signing executive orders that “positioned” Nigeria as Africa’s top destination for oil and gas investments.

He said the executive orders reduced the contracting cycle for oil and gas projects from 36 months to 6 months.

“This directive sped up project approvals and removed bureaucratic delays,” the executive secretary said.

“It has also boosted investor confidence and accelerated project execution.”

Ogbe also said the executive orders led to four final investment decisions (FID) within a year while showcasing Nigeria’s achievements in local content development.

“By maximizing local participation in the oil and gas value chain, we have created jobs and enhanced economic development,” he said.

“We have demonstrated how capacity building, policy refinement, and joint partnerships can create a thriving, self-sustaining oil and gas ecosystem.”

Ogbe added that the NCDMB prioritises indigenous skills, asset ownership, and local manufacturing while supporting the goals with initiatives like the Nigerian content intervention fund (NCIF).