Local Content Now Accounts For 61% Of Oil & Gas Participation — NCDMB

Nigeria’s local companies now account for 61 per cent participation in the country’s oil and gas industry, the executive secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Felix Ogbe, said on Monday.

Ogbe gave the figure in a keynote address at the 25th Nigeria Oil and Gas (NOG) Energy Week Conference & Exhibition in Abuja, describing the change as the result of the NOGICD Act of 2010 and more than a decade of policy implementation.

He said local participation has risen from under five per cent to the current level, with Nigerians now owning assets, providing services and executing projects across the value chain.

“Over the last 15 years, Nigeria’s local content journey has become a remarkable success story,” Ogbe said. He added that the 61 per cent milestone marks the end of one phase and the start of another: a shift from meeting compliance targets to deeper industrialisation and global competitiveness.

To sustain and increase local participation, Ogbe said the NCDMB and partner agencies — including NIPEX, NUPRC, NMDPRA, NNPC and the Oil Producers Trade Section (OPTS) — will implement a harmonised ranking system and modify certification portals ahead of a joint industry capacity audit.

The audit of in-country manufacturers and service providers is scheduled to begin in the third quarter of 2026.

Ogbe said the audit’s findings will inform investment priorities, technology partnerships, financing support and policy measures. He said the exercise is also intended to remove intermediaries, shorten contracting cycles and encourage direct patronage of established local providers.

The NCDMB head also warned operators against withholding statutory contributions to the Nigerian Content Development Fund (NCDF). He said a valid NCDF Compliance Certificate will be required for participation in industry opportunities and regulatory engagements, and that the board will strengthen enforcement against non-compliance.

No independent verification of the 61 per cent figure was provided in Ogbe’s speech. Industry analysts and operators were not quoted at the event.