Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — The Ghana National Petroleum Corporation, GNPC, has commenced a one-week knowledge-sharing and benchmarking visit to the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, NCDMB, as Ghana seeks to draw lessons from Nigeria’s local content success in the oil and gas industry.
The delegation, led by GNPC’s Director of Corporate Services, Mr. Eric Pwadura, was received at the Nigerian Content Tower in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, where NCDMB showcased its achievements, strategic initiatives and roadmap for deepening indigenous participation in the petroleum sector.
Representing the Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, the Board’s Director of Corporate Services, Dr. Abdulmalik Halilu, highlighted the agency’s mandate and accomplishments, noting that Nigeria’s local content framework has become a reference point across Africa.
Halilu emphasized opportunities for technology development, local employment, strategic partnerships and regional cooperation, describing local content as a critical tool for economic transformation and industrial growth.
He noted that NCDMB remains committed to promoting an Africa-focused local content value proposition that encourages in-country value retention while fostering collaboration among African oil-producing nations.
Speaking on behalf of the Ghanaian delegation, Mr. Pwadura commended NCDMB for its achievements and expressed interest in adopting elements of Nigeria’s local content framework to strengthen Ghana’s petroleum industry.
According to him, Nigeria’s experience provides valuable lessons for other African countries seeking to increase indigenous participation and maximize benefits from their hydrocarbon resources.
A major highlight of the visit was a presentation on NCDMB’s 10-Year Strategic Roadmap by Dr. Zuwairat Asekome, Supervisor of Transformational Projects at the Board.
She disclosed that Nigerian content has grown from five percent to 61 per cent under the Board’s implementation strategy, with a target of reaching 70 percent by 2027.
Asekome explained that the roadmap is built on five strategic pillars and seven enablers designed to drive sustainable growth in local capacity and industry participation.
“Local content development is a marathon, not a sprint,” she said, stressing the need for consistency, long-term planning and stakeholder collaboration to achieve meaningful results.
The GNPC delegation, which included Adviser, General Services, Mrs. Jennifer Boateng; Principal Supply Chain and Local Content Development Officer, Mr. Augustine Bayivella; and Manager, Supply Chain and Local Content Development, Mr. Seidu Salim Braimah, later presented a commemorative plaque to mark GNPC’s 40th anniversary.
The visitors also toured the Nigerian Content Tower and its ancillary facilities to gain first-hand insight into the Board’s operations and institutional framework.
The visit underscores the growing recognition of Nigeria’s local content model across Africa and highlights increasing regional interest in leveraging indigenous participation to drive economic development and value creation in the energy sector.
