NCDMB Sets New Template For Contractors To Access Funds In N/Delta

Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has expressed commitment to delivering on its core mandate of promoting indigenous players and providing job opportunities in the oil and gas.

Therefore, for quality assurance and contracts procurement efficiency, the board has enunciated a new digitised process as a template for accessing contracts in line with best practices.

The managing director of NCDMB, Emmanuel Yusuf, who  unfolded the new regime  during the portal launch of the Nigerian Content Fund Compliance Certificate (NCFCC), organised for stakeholders in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, said the portal would provide a digitised process to enhance quick access to funds.

He explained that the new system would ensure efficient service delivery where impacts become measurable as operators and contractors would be able to access funding easily, regulators would enjoy improved data collation with investors’ confidence raised.

The initiative,  Yusuf explained ,aligned with the nation’s vision to improve the ease of doing business, digital transformation, and accountability, adding that the Nigerian Content Fund Compliance Certificate was vital for the oil and gas industry.

Although some of the contractors expressed dismay at the new contract procurement order, describing the process as cumbersome, Yusuf said it was designed to promote integrity, assuring that the Board would sustain its mission of empowering local contractors, but through accountable process.

So far, he disclosed that no fewer than 130 indigenous companies in Nigeria’s upstream oil and gas industry have received more than $400 million support from the Nigerian Content Development Fund (NCDF).

“The Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act specifies that the sum of one percent of every contract awarded to any operator, contractor, sub-contractor, alliance partner or any other entity involved in any project, operation, activity or transaction in the upstream of the Nigerian oil and gas industry shall be deducted at source and paid into the fund.

“This certificate is proof of compliance, the key that unlocks access to the Fund, and assurance that obligations are being met in line with national development goals. Over the years, the Fund has been transformative.

“Nigerian Content has risen to over 60 percent, meaning more value, jobs, and expertise now reside within our country. More than 400 million dollars has supported over 130 indigenous companies, addressing the critical challenge of access to finance.

“Strategic initiatives like Project 100 have strengthened local capacity, while innovative financing tools, including a 100-million-dollar equity investment scheme, ensure sustainability.But as progress expands, our systems must evolve.

“In the past, compliance confirmation was handled manually. Companies submitted physical documents, waited for verification, and endured delays that often stretched into weeks. This slowed project approvals, created uncertainty, and limited transparency for regulators and investors.That is why today matters.

“With the launch of this portal, compliance becomes faster, simpler, and more transparent. The portal will: Cut certificate processing time from weeks to days. Allow online applications without physical visits or paperwork. Provide instant status updates, eliminating uncertainty. Enable regulators to verify compliance in real time. Create a single digital record that investors and lenders can trust,” he stressed.

Yusuf added that by digitizing the process, the portal would also enhance access to the Fund while companies that meet obligations would be able to obtain certificates quickly, unlock financing opportunities without delay, and channel resources into projects that create jobs, build capacity, and strengthen Nigeria’s oil and gas value chain.

In the same vein, the NCDMB Executive Secretary, Engr. Felix Ogbe, stated that the sensitisation programme on the Nigerian Content Fund Compliance Certification System and the NCDF Payment Portal would provide stakeholders with practical information on: the upgraded NCDF Payment Portal, the Compliance Certificate System, and access to the Nigerian Content Intervention Fund (NCI Fund).

Ogbe who was represented by Mr Dandi Osagie, said the initiatives were necessary to improve efficiency, transparency and ease of doing business, and also ensure that eligible Nigerian companies can better access financing and comply with the requirements of the Nigerian Content Act and relevant Board regulations.

“The NCDMB recognises that effective implementation of Nigerian Content requires continuous engagement, collaboration and capacity building. We therefore consider programmes such as this an important platform for listening to our stakeholders, clarifying areas of concern, and ensuring that the systems and processes we provide are well understood and effectively utilised,” he said.