In this article
- NCDMB Identifies Technology and Financing as Key Challenges
- Nigerian Content Initiatives Retain Over $10bn
- NCDMB Explains Requirements for Contractors and Suppliers
- Dangote Group Calls for National Commitment
- NCDMB Seeks Better Coordination Among Government Agencies
- Nigerian Content Fund Supports Local Maritime Capacity
- What the NCDMB-Dangote Call Means for Nigerian Businesses
The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and Dangote Group have called for a stronger commitment to local industrial development, warning that regulatory compliance alone cannot guarantee sustainable growth in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
The call came as the Board disclosed that in-country value retention stood at approximately 61 per cent, below its 70 per cent target.
NCDMB officials said Nigeria must strengthen local supply chains, expand technical skills, improve access to financing and promote indigenous innovation to retain more economic value from its oil and gas resources.
The position was presented at the strategic retreat of the NCDMB/Dangote Joint Technical Committee (JTC) in Lagos. The meeting had the theme, “Beyond Compliance: Partnering for Sustainable Nigerian Content Development.”
NCDMB Identifies Technology and Financing as Key Challenges
Delivering the keynote address, NCDMB Executive Secretary, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, represented by the Board’s Senior Technical Adviser and Director of Project Certification and Authorisation, Engr. Austin Uzoka, identified commitment, technology and financing as critical to sustainable Nigerian content development.
Ogbe urged industry stakeholders to look beyond statutory requirements and focus on building local capabilities that can sustain major industrial investments.
He cited the challenges associated with Nigeria’s publicly owned refineries as a reminder that constructing industrial facilities is only part of the task.
According to him, Nigeria must also develop the local expertise, goods, services and supply networks required to operate and maintain major facilities, including the Dangote Refinery.
He warned that without strong domestic supply chains, a significant share of the economic benefits from industrial investments could flow outside the country.
The NCDMB chief also identified high interest rates and delays in accessing financing as obstacles facing indigenous businesses.
He called for greater support for Nigerian industrialists seeking to establish refineries and related facilities, noting that stronger domestic refining capacity could help position Nigeria as a major oil and gas hub.
Nigerian Content Initiatives Retain Over $10bn
In his presentation, the Director of Planning, Research and Statistics at NCDMB and Chairman of the NCDMB/Dangote JTC, Mr Omomehin Ajimijaye, disclosed that Nigerian content interventions had retained more than $10 billion in the Nigerian economy.
He said the initiatives had also generated over 50,000 direct and indirect jobs and supported more than 50 million man-hours of training.
However, Ajimijaye said in-country value retention remained at approximately 61 per cent, below the 70 per cent target.
He urged regulators, oil and gas operators, contractors and service providers to strengthen collaboration to close the gap.
The figures highlight both the progress made in developing local participation and the work still required to ensure that more spending, expertise and industrial activity remain within Nigeria.
NCDMB Explains Requirements for Contractors and Suppliers
Ajimijaye urged contractors, vendors and service providers operating within the Dangote business ecosystem to comply with Nigerian content requirements and register on the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Joint Qualification System (NOGICJQS).
He explained that the regulatory framework was designed to support business growth and indigenous participation, rather than create unnecessary bureaucratic obstacles.
According to him, companies seeking project contracts must pay attention to four major requirements:
- Nigerian content planning: Companies must demonstrate how their projects will maximise Nigerian participation.
- Workforce localisation: Qualified Nigerians should be prioritised for available positions.
- Local procurement: Businesses should source goods and services locally where they are available and meet the required standards.
- Capacity development: Companies should invest in skills acquisition, technology transfer and workforce training.
On expatriate employment, Ajimijaye said foreign personnel could be engaged where genuine skills gaps existed.
However, companies are expected to work with the Board to establish those gaps and develop succession plans that progressively prepare Nigerians to take over the positions.
He described NOGICJQS as a digital platform for supplier registration, prequalification, capacity verification and validation of technical expertise.
He added that reliable industry data would help identify skills shortages, connect companies with qualified professionals and guide training investments.
Dangote Group Calls for National Commitment
Dangote Group’s Group Vice President, Dr Edwin Devakumar, called for a fundamental shift from a compliance-driven approach to a culture of national responsibility and ownership.
He argued that laws and regulations could not, on their own, guarantee sustainable local content development unless businesses and individuals genuinely committed to building Nigeria’s productive capacity.
“For sustainable Nigerian content development to succeed, it must not be seen as a regulatory burden. Every individual must regard it as something they genuinely want to do from the bottom of their heart,” Devakumar said.
He also stressed that local content should go beyond purchasing raw materials within Nigeria.
According to him, it should include skills transfer, workforce development and the transformation of indigenous contractors into companies capable of executing increasingly complex industrial projects.
Ajimijaye commended Dangote Group for collaborating with NCDMB since around 2019 to develop Nigerian capacity through local and overseas institutions.
He noted that some beneficiaries of the training initiatives had subsequently secured employment within the group.
He also called for sustained investment in research and development to strengthen indigenous innovation, improve competitiveness and enable Nigerian companies to export technical expertise.
NCDMB Seeks Better Coordination Among Government Agencies
The Director of Legal Services at NCDMB, Dr Naboth Onyesoh, called for stronger coordination among government institutions involved in investment promotion, petroleum regulation and Nigerian content compliance.
He said closer collaboration would help clarify statutory responsibilities, reduce unnecessary duplication and resolve operational challenges affecting businesses.
Onyesoh explained that investment incentives offered by the Oil and Gas Free Zones Authority (OGFZA) did not exempt operators from applicable federal laws or the statutory requirements of relevant regulators.
Depending on their operations, petroleum businesses remain subject to the requirements of NCDMB, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority.
He also highlighted the roles of the Central Bank of Nigeria, customs and immigration authorities in facilitating transactions and enforcing applicable regulations.
Reaffirming the importance of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act, 2010, Onyesoh said the law remained central to promoting indigenous participation, technology transfer, employment and domestic value retention.
“An incentive regime is a business advantage; it is not a regulatory exception,” he said.
Nigerian Content Fund Supports Local Maritime Capacity
Onyesoh also highlighted the Board’s efforts to strengthen indigenous maritime capacity through the Nigerian Content Intervention Fund, which supports local companies seeking to acquire vessels and expand their operations.
He disclosed that the Nigerian Content Fund was partnering with Nigeria LNG Limited on a shipyard project at Snake Island to boost domestic industrial capacity.
He further commended the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) for collaborating with NCDMB on vessel verification and indigenous participation in maritime operations.
The legal director urged OGFZA and other government agencies to strengthen information sharing and joint problem-solving.
He said coordinated regulation could improve the ease of doing business, strengthen investor confidence, create jobs and increase economic returns from Nigeria’s oil and gas resources.
What the NCDMB-Dangote Call Means for Nigerian Businesses
The call for a shift beyond compliance highlights a wider challenge facing Nigeria’s industrial development: ensuring that major investments generate lasting opportunities for local businesses and workers.
For indigenous contractors and suppliers, stronger Nigerian content implementation could create opportunities to provide goods, services, technical expertise and specialised workforce support to large industrial operators.
However, access to affordable financing, technology, skilled personnel and reliable supply chains remains important to helping local companies compete effectively.
The reported 61 per cent in-country value retention also shows that reaching the 70 per cent target will require sustained cooperation between regulators, investors, contractors and training institutions.
The retreat brought together industry stakeholders and government representatives to address these challenges and strengthen indigenous participation across the energy value chain.
For NCDMB and Dangote Group, the central message was clear: sustainable Nigerian content development must go beyond meeting regulatory requirements to building the skills, businesses and industrial capacity needed to retain more value within the country.
