Local Content Roundtable Targets Scaling Of Capability, Funding For Growth

Lawmakers, regulators and private-sector leaders are set to examine how Nigeria can scale the capability created through local content and fund its growth.

They will convene for a closed-door Local Content Roundtable, the opening session of the Practical Nigerian Content (PNC) Forum 2026.

The Roundtable, titled “Building Sustainable Local Capacity: Scaling Capability, Enabling Ownership and Funding Growth,” will hold at the Nigerian Content Tower in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, on Monday, November 30.

The session is designed to shift the national conversation from indigenous participation to sustainable, in-country capacity development. It will examine how Nigeria can build on the skills, technology and industrial capacity developed through projects over the past 16 years.

The Roundtable will confront critical questions on the state of Nigeria’s local-content capacity. Participants will examine what physical, technological or intellectual capacity has been created in the country since 2010.

It will also consider whether the capability developed in Nigeria can work beyond the country’s borders and outlive the projects that paid for it. With operators investing heavily in training, certification, supplier development and technology transfer, the Roundtable will explore what sustainable capacity really costs and what should remain in the country once the money is spent.

The discussions will focus on how Nigeria can move beyond celebrating local-content percentages to building capacity that can be measured, retained and grown at scale.

“Every year at PNC, we celebrate the percentage. This year, we wanted a room that explores what that percentage is made of, and how we build on it,” said Wemimo Oyelana, Portfolio and Country Director, dmg events.

According to Oyelana, the skills, technology and industrial capacity developed through projects over the past 16 years are real assets. She said the Roundtable will bring stakeholders together to define what lasting Nigerian capacity looks like, how it can be measured and how it can be grown at scale.

The Roundtable is expected to examine the components of lasting capacity, including skills, technology, industrial assets and the ability of Nigerian businesses to own and sustain value beyond individual projects.

Funding will be a central part of the discussion. The Roundtable will examine how Nigeria can finance the growth of local capacity, particularly as operators continue to invest in training, certification, supplier development and technology transfer.

The session will consider how funding can support the development and expansion of Nigerian businesses, technology providers and indigenous companies across the energy value chain.

It will also explore how investment can be directed towards capabilities that remain in the country and contribute to long-term industrial growth, rather than ending with the completion of individual projects.

The Roundtable forms part of the PNC 2026 programme, themed “Defining Strategic Priorities for the Next Decade of Nigerian Content Implementation.” The programme introduces three additional elements in alignment with this objective: the Local Content Impact Stage, an Executive Debate and Breakout Sessions.

The Local Content Impact Stage will showcase the deals and partnerships strengthening local capability. The Executive Debate, titled “The Business Case for Local Content: Cost Burden or Competitive Advantage?”, will spark critical thinking on how local participation can deliver lasting value beyond contract execution.

A Breakout Session will bring participants together to set priority actions for the decade ahead.

PNC 2026 will bring together policymakers, industry leaders, investors and indigenous businesses to address the priorities shaping the next phase of Nigerian content development.

For operators and project developers, the discussions will examine how local capacity can support project delivery and long-term competitiveness. For indigenous businesses, investors and technology providers, the Forum will provide a platform to explore opportunities for partnerships, financing, technology commercialisation and expansion across the energy value chain.

The conversations are expected to help identify the policy direction, investment priorities and industry collaboration needed to translate local-content commitments into sustainable industrial growth.

Marking 16 years since the enactment of the NOGICD Act, the Practical Nigerian Content Forum remains the premier platform to celebrate Nigerian content achievements, explore strategies for Nigerian content development, maximise business opportunities and connect with industry players.

The 15th edition of the Forum will feature the Strategic Forum, Showcase Arena, Site Visit, Gala Dinners and high-impact networking events.

PNC 2026 is positioned as a platform where policy meets opportunity, partnerships are forged and the next phase of Nigerian content implementation is shaped.