Nigeria has achieved about 80 per cent local content in engineering and fabrication within the oil and gas industry, the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has disclosed, while calling for increased investment in manufacturing and research and development (R&D) to deepen indigenous participation across the sector.
The disclosure was made by the Director of Planning, Research and Statistics at NCDMB, Mr. Silas Omomehin Ajimijaye, who represented the Board at the OWI West Africa 2026 conference in Lagos. Speaking during a panel session on “Local Capability, Leadership and New Delivery Models, and Execution in West Africa,” Ajimijaye outlined the progress recorded under Nigeria’s local content policy framework and the next steps required to sustain growth.
He stated that while the country has made significant strides in engineering and fabrication, efforts are now focused on closing existing gaps in manufacturing and innovation to ensure that more value generated by the oil and gas industry remains within Nigeria.
“Nigeria is no longer content merely to participate in the oil and gas industry; we are building the capacity to lead it. We have reached around 80 per cent local content in engineering and fabrication, and our focus now is on closing the manufacturing and research gap so that more value is retained in the country,” he said.
Ajimijaye explained that the Board’s strategy is anchored on the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act of 2010, complemented by Executive Orders and Presidential Directives issued in 2024 to reduce contracting costs, shorten project timelines and strengthen compliance with local content requirements.
According to him, manufacturing and research and development remain the next frontier in the Board’s drive to achieve 70 per cent local content retention by the end of 2027.
He urged operators and service companies to collaborate more closely with the Board by investing in local capacity development and integrating Nigerian content considerations into projects from the planning stage.
“Local content is a partnership, not a barrier. We are asking the industry to build genuine capability with us, to invest in local research and development, and to engage the Board early so that Nigerian content is designed into every project from the start,” he added.
The NCDMB official highlighted the Board’s ongoing investments in human capital development through training programmes implemented in partnership with industry operators, including Renaissance Africa Energy and Seplat Energy. He also pointed to initiatives aimed at preparing young Nigerians for careers in the sector through universities and specialised centres of excellence dedicated to research and innovation.
Ajimijaye further noted that access to financing has been expanded through the Board’s intervention fund managed in collaboration with the Bank of Industry, as well as a dedicated financing window created to support women-led businesses operating in the oil and gas value chain.
He said the Board’s participation at OWI West Africa 2026 aligns with the vision of the Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, and the reform agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to consolidate gains made in local content development and position Nigerian companies to compete effectively across West Africa and beyond.
The conference brought together industry stakeholders to discuss strategies for strengthening indigenous participation, enhancing operational efficiency and advancing new delivery models in the offshore oil and gas sector.
