Reported by: Agande Richard Aondofa | Edited by: Henry Owen | November 6, 2025
Brazzaville, Congo – For African nations to fully leverage their hydrocarbon resources for sustainable economic development and citizen prosperity, local content policies and their effective implementation must form the cornerstone of their energy strategies, the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, has advised.
Ogbe made the remarks on Tuesday at the 4th edition of the African Petroleum Producers Organisation (APPO) Conference and Exhibition on Local Content in Africa, a key event dedicated to advancing local content and energy development across the continent. He led Nigeria’s delegation and represented the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, at APPO’s statutory ministerial council meeting, where a new Secretary General was elected.
“African countries cannot derive optimal value from their hydrocarbon resources without deliberate local content policies that retain value within our borders and connect other sectors of our economies,” Ogbe said, referencing the continent’s 125 billion barrels of proven crude oil reserves and over 620 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.
He stressed that Nigeria’s 15-year experience in local content serves as a blueprint for other African nations. Ogbe described local content not merely as a regulatory tool, but as a development strategy to build indigenous capacity, retain value domestically, and create sustainable jobs.
The Executive Secretary highlighted the NCDMB’s readiness to share expertise, frameworks, and digital tools, including the NOGIC Joint Qualification System (NOGIC JQS), to strengthen local participation across African petroleum-producing countries.
Ogbe also proposed the establishment of an African Energy Services Network to foster collaboration among APPO member states, creating a pan-African industrial ecosystem where fabrication, manufacturing, and engineering hubs complement each other.
He praised the creation of the African Energy Bank, championed by APPO and Afreximbank, for providing competitive financing to oil and gas projects, and pledged NCDMB’s technical support to ensure its objectives are realized.
Nigeria’s achievements, he noted, include world-class infrastructure like the Egina FPSO Integration Yard at LADOL Free Trade Zone, Lagos, which successfully integrated a Floating Production Storage and Offloading Unit with a 200,000-barrel capacity. Additionally, oil and gas parks in Bayelsa and Cross River States, along with the NCDMB Centre for Research and Development, provide manufacturing and innovation opportunities for SMEs and investors.
Ogbe further highlighted the Board’s Human Capacity Development (HCD) programmes, which have trained over 20,000 Nigerians in specialised oil and gas skills, offering a replicable model for other African countries. Nigerian service companies are also seeking joint ventures with African counterparts in engineering, marine, fabrication, and digital energy services, including modular refineries and gas processing projects.
The conference featured panel discussions on local content lessons, experiences, and successful Nigerian models, moderated by Dr. Obinna Ezeobi, NCDMB General Manager, Corporate Communications. Panelists included Dr. Abdulmalik Halilu, Mr. Mubarak Zubair, Mr. Silas Omomehin Ajimijaye, and Mr. ThankGod Egbe, among others, who shared insights on the NCDMB’s initiatives and programs.
The event attracted stakeholders from across Africa eager to understudy and implement Nigeria’s successful local content frameworks, reinforcing the nation’s leadership role in driving sustainable energy development on the continent.
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