By Chris Konkwo
There is no gainsaying the fact that the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), an offshoot of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Bill signed into law in 2015 by the President Goodluck Jonathan administration has done visibly tremendously well, justifying its establishment and the huge resources invested into the agency.
Besides encouraging Nigerian firms to acquire hi-tech assets and equipment required to operate the fields and assets divested by some international operating companies because of enormous growth of local content especially in human and material resources, NCDMB has floated laudable empowering facilities to attract and encourage interested Nigerians into the oil and gas industry.
Some of these facilities include but not limited to prioritizing training and employment opportunities for Nigerians and the deployment of the Nigerian Content Development Fund for targeted capacity building.
Good examples are the Nigerian Content Intervention Fund (NCI) aimed at building local supply chain efficiency and competitiveness in the oil and gas sector, NCDMB Working Capital and Capacity Fund aimed at helping Small and Medium Entreprises (SMES) in the oil and gas servicing sector to scale up and make a mark in the global market, and NCDMB Women in Oil and Gas Intervention Fund targeting women-owned businesses in the oil and gas industry, etc.
Despite putting mechanisms in place to ensure maximum utilization and compliance by the local firms, the NCDMB also embarks on periodical stakeholders’ sensitization and engagement fora and visits to these companies for exchange of views, ideas, discuss new challenges etc, all aimed at making the Board more functional and effective, and to give value to the entire country for its establishment for 15yrs running.
Sequel to this, the NCDMB orgainzed yet another stakeholders sensitization and engagement forum for the South-South in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State Capital on October 8, 2025.
The theme was “Deepening Local Content through Certification, Compliance and Financial Support. Besides using the opportunity to unveil and launch the compliance certificate, there were also paper presentations on understanding the NCDMB Compliance Certificate System, navigating the upgraded NCDF Payment Portal, the revised Community Contractors Finance Scheme, NEXIM Oil and Gas Services Support Facilities and Financing Oil and Gas Businesses in Nigeria. The historic event wrapped up with a panel session, and questions and answers session.
Shortly after, the NCDMB also embarked on a media tour of some of the Nigerian firms being encouraged by the Board with some prominent media executives and reporters from notable Nigerian media houses.
The two day media tour took the NCDMB/media train to Bunorr Integrated Energy Limited with its operational base in Omagwa, Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State and PE Energy Limited Facility in Trans-Amadi area of Port Harcourt among others.
Bunoor Integrated Limited is into condemned engine oil recycling and lubricant recovery while PE Energy Limited is into flow control (valves and actuation), flow measurement solutions, flow drives (Rotating equipment), process pipeline services and supply chain management, etc.
These are the areas that used to be the exclusive preserve of foreign companies. In addition to building skills and domiciling some of this industry work that used to be imported, these firms have offered and are still offering employment to Nigerians and providing place for students on industrial training.
Addressing the visiting NCDMB officials and journalists during the media tour (Tuesday 8, and Wednesday 9, December 2025), the managing director of Bunnor Integrated Energy Limited, Ikechukwu Okeke praised NCDMB for its commitment in the promotion of indigenous production and encouragement of Nigerians into the oil and gas industry.
Describing the NCDMB as a critical partner in the success story of Bunnor, Engr. Okeke also noted that NCDMB’s support has boosted their marale and given them credibility before their internal and external publics-staff, vendors, financial institutions and other stakeholders.
The NCDMB’s backing has also made it easier for the company to attract technical partners and negotiate for materials and support, Engr. Okeke further declared.
“Our operations directly support Nigeria’s commitment to energy circularity, environmental sustainability, local content development and import substitution. We have also employed 37 Nigerians of various levels with plans to increase the number as production volume grows, thus justifying the $3.6million equity fund so far given to the company by NCDMB for its operations,” Engr. Okeke enthused.
At PE Energy Limited, the Nigerian Content Coordinator, Mr. Aniekan Udom noted that the NCDMB through its various policies and programmes has made it possible for training and capacity boosting for Nigerians in the oil and gas sector.
He commended the Board for the support to indigenous firms over the years, stressing that its openness to indigenous companies has been impactful in developing local capacities.
“The existence of NCDMB alone is enough support. Today, as you can see, there is no foreigner operating any of our machines courtesy NCDMB’s policy of technology transfer which alone has been the bedrock of our sustainability,” Mr. Udom stated.
He gladly recalled the COVID-19 experience when foreigners were barred from coming into the country, yet the company’s activities were still on and running due to availability of local capacity encouraged by NCDMB.
However, it’s not yet uhuru for the country’s oil and gas sector as certain factors still work against the noble efforts of NCDMB as noted at both the stakeholders’ sensitization forum and media tour of some of these indigenous oil and gas companies.
These include the cumbersome bank procedures of facilitating NCDMB loans. Most of the commercial banks still insist on meeting up their own stringent procedures before attending to NCDMB fund beneficiaries not minding the credibility of NCDMB and that the Board’s projects are time-bound to meet up its promises and escape the unpredictable Nigerian economy with its concomitant contract cost variations.
Lack of power and incessant power failure across the country also constitutes a big challenge to the local companies as regrettably noted by the Managing Director of Bunnor Integrated Energy Limited, Mr. Ikechukwu Okeke who pleaded with the State Government and relevant agencies to connect its operational base (Omagwa axis of Port Harcourt) to the national grid in order to reduce the cost of running diesel for production as the plant solely relies on generator for power supply with obvious implications.
Another serious challenge to the local companies is low patronage from international oil companies (IOCs) operating in the country. This was readily captured in the lamentation of the Vice President of PE Energy, Chukwuemeka Igilar who regretted that the international oil companies prefer to go abroad to get services that are even better provided by local companies, stressing that PE Energy has the best facilities in handling instrumentation and flow measurement systems in the country.
His words: “We are not getting enough patronage from the operators. We have a lot of companies that are producing in Warri and Bayelsa. We need this place to be busy. If you go round this country, I can beat my chest to say that PE Energy is one of the companies that has invested hugely to the development of such a facility as this. So patronage is what we are clamouring for. We have the manpower and expertise”.
The vision and mission of NCDMB as noted by the Board’s General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Dr. Obinna Ezeobi which is to encourage local capacity building and local competition without compromising competence, the government and other relevant agencies must as a matter of public interest play their own role and very competently too.
Patronage of indigenous companies and local contents can be backed up with law and effectively monitored for compliance and, or release and implement the report of research(s) previously carried out in this regard. Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) is one federal government agency that is visibly and beneficially impacting the lives of Nigerians and the country’s oil and gas industry positively and must be sustained at any cost.
