NCDMB Bans Certification Transfers To Middlemen In New Local Content Push

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has introduced policies prohibiting the transfer of certifications to intermediaries, as part of a deliberate strategy to boost competent indigenous participation in the oil and gas sector.

The executive secretary of the NCDMB, Felix Omatsola Ogbe announced this during his keynote address at the 2026 Sub-Saharan African International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (SAIPEC) in Lagos, themed “Celebrating a Decade of Energy, Oil, and Gas Innovation in Sub-Saharan Africa.”

Ogbe, who was represented by director, Corporate Services, Dr Abdulmalik Halilu, emphasised that this shift ensures the NCDMB engages “very competent and capable contractors,” making it a critical criterion in future technical tenders. The move aims to eliminate middlemen, often criticized for inflating costs and undermining direct local empowerment in Nigeria’s energy projects.

“Our local content strategy has been deliberate and systematic,” Ogbe stated.

“First, we focused on deepening indigenous participation, then capacity building and now policies and guidelines that prohibit the transfer of certification to intermediaries.

Ogbe highlighted the policy as a progression in Nigeria’s local content journey, building on insights from SAIPEC 2025, which underscored collaboration among governments, private sector, and communities. At the continental level, he called for leveraging the Brazzaville Accord for regulatory harmonisation and supporting the new Africa Energy Bank under the African Petroleum Producers Organization (APPO) and Afreximbank to fund viable projects.

Industry stakeholders view the anti-middlemen policy as a potential game-changer for transparency and efficiency, though implementation details remain key to watch.

Also speaking, chairman of the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN), Wole Ogunsanya,

in the opening address. Ogunsanya credited local content policies for transforming Nigerian firms from service providers to leaders in drilling, well services, engineering, fabrication, construction, asset acquisition, field development, and technology deployment.

“Indigenous companies now lead, delivering complex projects to international standards,” Ogunsanya noted, attributing this to PETAN members’ resilience amid global volatility and energy transitions.

However, he stressed sustaining gains requires “consistent policy implementation, access to financing, contract sanctity, timely project execution, and stronger collaboration between operators and service companies.”

Ogunsanya positioned SAIPEC as a platform that has elevated local content over 10 years by driving policy dialogue, indigenous participation, and global connections for African firms.

He urged a shift from dialogue to delivery, accelerating gas projects, deepening local utilization, creating jobs, and positioning Africa as a competitive energy hub.Ogbe echoed the collaboration theme continentally, advocating the Brazzaville Accord for regulatory harmonization and the new Africa Energy Bank—backed by APPO and Afreximbank—to mobilise affordable financing for viable projects.Industry observers see the NCDMB’s middlemen ban as a bold step to build on these indigenous successes, fostering transparency amid calls for policy consistency.

Full implementation, including tender criteria, will test its impact on Nigeria’s energy value chain.