The Niger-Delta Oil and Gas Liberation Movement has commended the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) for advancing local content value in the oil and gas sector to 56% in 2024, compared to 54% in 2023.
The group hailed the Executive Secretary of the Board, Mr. Felix Ogbe, for his visionary leadership and commitment to strengthening Nigerian participation in the sector.
Speaking in Warri, Delta State, the Chairman of the Niger-Delta group, Elder Esimeburu Emmanuel, described the achievements as a testament to the Board’s 10-Year Strategic Roadmap. Built on five strategic pillars and supported by four enablers, the roadmap aims to achieve a 70% local content target by 2027. Elder Esimeburu commended the Board for its innovative initiatives, emphasizing that the milestones recorded so far are not only commendable but also well-articulated for long-term benefits.
Among the Board’s notable accomplishments, Elder Esimeburu highlighted the commissioning of Amal Technologies and the Kwale Gas Gathering facility in Abuja and Delta State, respectively.
He also praised the issuance of 402 Nigerian Content Compliance Certificates (NCCCs) and the approval of 312 Nigerian Content Plans, describing these achievements as clear indicators of the Board’s unwavering commitment to fostering local participation in the oil and gas industry.
Elder Esimeburu further lauded the introduction of the Project Certification and Authorization Document (PCAD) contracting guidelines, which reduced the contracting cycle touchpoints from nine to five, thereby shortening the process to six months.
He also mentioned the Board’s collaboration with Bell Oil and Gas to establish a 50,000-metric-ton integrated Oil Country Tubular Goods (OCTG) facility at the Lekki Free Trade Zone, as well as the commissioning of Daewoo’s 10,000-metric-ton capacity galvanizing plant as pivotal breakthroughs for the sector.
The establishment of the Nigeria Oil and Gas Park Scheme (NOGaPS) in Bayelsa, Cross River, and Akwa Ibom states was another major achievement highlighted. Elder Esimeburu noted that the inauguration of a 300 MMSCFD gas gathering and injection facility in Kwale, Delta State, and partnerships with Butane Energy to commission LPG filling and storage plants in Kaduna and Katsina States underscore the Board’s strategic focus on infrastructure development.
On human capital development, the group acknowledged the NCDMB’s efforts under its Human Capacity Development (HCD) initiatives. These include the cadetship training for 63 Nigerians on foreign-going vessels, a partnership with Shell and PETAN to launch an internship program for 49 graduate engineers, geologists, and geoscientists, and the Nigerian Content Human Capital Development (NC-HCD) program, which has trained 331 Nigerians for the NLNG Train 7 Project.
Elder Esimeburu also applauded the Board’s infrastructural contributions to education, such as the completion and commissioning of an Engineering Design Studio and Information Hub at the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), in collaboration with NLNG.
Similarly, the commissioning of an e-Library at the Niger Delta University in Amassoma, Bayelsa State, in partnership with SPDC and its JV partners, was described as a laudable step towards enhancing knowledge and innovation in the region.
The Niger-Delta Oil and Gas Liberation Movement concluded its commendation by urging other stakeholders in the oil and gas sector to emulate the NCDMB’s approach to fostering local content development. According to Elder Esimeburu, the Board’s strategic achievements are not only vital to the economic growth of the Niger-Delta region but also pivotal to Nigeria’s aspirations for self-reliance and sustainable development in the energy sector.