How NCDMB Under Engr. Felix Ogbe Is Reinventing Nigeria’s Local Content Regime
By James Okonkwo
When President Bola Ahmed Tinubu issued three Executive Orders in March 2024 targeting the oil and gas sector, critics feared they would weaken Nigeria’s local content framework, instead, the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), under the leadership of Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, has turned those directives into catalysts for reform, sharpening efficiency, enforcing compliance, and modernising the spirit of the NOGICD Act.
Guarding the Law, Not the Past
At the African Energy Week in Cape Town, Ogbe made it clear that the Executive Orders complement rather than contradict the law. Local firms must still take the lead, existing capacities must be used, and wasteful contract middlemen must be cut out.
The law remains supreme, only now, it moves faster.
Cutting Red Tape, Boosting Delivery
Previously, oil and gas contract approvals crawled through nine layers of bureaucracy. Under Ogbe’s leadership, that number has been halved.
The result? Shorter project cycles, lower costs, and faster execution, without sacrificing accountability.
Opening Doors, Not Loopholes
Foreign firms can now participate transparently through Nigerian Content Equipment Certificates, ensuring that partnerships bring technology transfer and investment while respecting local capacity rules.
Infrastructure with Impact
From the Oil and Gas Parks in Cross River and Bayelsa to the Brass Island Shipyard being developed with NLNG, Ogbe’s NCDMB is investing in projects that anchor industrial value at home.
These hubs are set to make Nigeria a centre for fabrication, assembly, and marine services across West Africa.
Empowering People, Not Just Projects
Recognising that infrastructure is useless without skills, NCDMB has launched programmes in AI, drone technology, subsea engineering, and instrumentation.
Six Centres of Excellence have been established in Nigerian universities to link research with industry needs.
Financing Local Dreams
Through the ₦50 billion Nigerian Content Intervention Fund, local firms can now access single-digit loans.
The ₦50 billion Community Contractors Fund and a $20 million Women in Oil and Gas Fund (with NEXIM Bank) are deepening inclusion and boosting participation in the sector.
Results That Speak
Local content retention in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector has surged from under 10% to 57%.
Indigenous firms now execute complex fabrication and engineering contracts, while over 9,000 Nigerians have been trained to global standards.
Eyes on the Future
Challenges persist, financing must keep pace, and policy consistency is key.
But Ogbe’s vision is clear: local content must evolve beyond oil into renewables, digital energy and carbon solutions.
The Takeaway
Engr. Felix Ogbe’s NCDMB has proved that reform and local content are not at odds.
They are partners in progress. With discipline, innovation and foresight, Nigeria is not just keeping more value at home, it is building the skills and industries that will define its future in a fast-changing global energy market.
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