Lagos — The inaugural Champions of Nigerian Content Awards, being organised by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, NCDMB, in partnership with Sweetcrude Limited, holds today (Wednesday) in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital.
The event, commencing at 7pm at the NCDMB Conference Hall, will recognise individuals and organisations that demonstrated exceptional commitment to advancing Nigerian Content in the oil and gas sector in 2024. The ceremony will coincide with the Nigerian Oil and Gas Opportunity Fair, NOGOF, further spotlighting industry excellence.
Nominees for the prestigious Awards emerged from a stringent selection process by the Advisory Committee of Industry Titans overseeing the Awards.
Seen by industry experts as atimely celebration of local content excellence, the Awards is also coming as the NCDMB celebrates its 15th anniversary. The experts say the launch of the Champions of Nigerian Content Awards could not have come at a more fitting time.
The Awards ceremony is a testament to the remarkable strides made in advancing Nigerian content in the oil and gas industry over the past decade and a half.
Since its establishment, the NCDMB has been at the forefront of driving local content development, ensuring that Nigerians and indigenous companies play a more significant role in the nation’s oil and gas sector. The Champions of Nigerian Content Awards is not just a celebration of individual and corporate achievements; it is a recognition of the collective progress made under the Nigerian Content Act, which has transformed the industry and empowered local stakeholders.
Engr. Felix Ogbe, NCDMB’s Executive Secretary, emphasised that the awards aim to become the sector’s equivalent of the Oscars, celebrating genuine impact rather than mere participation. “This recognition is reserved for those who have gone beyond compliance to drive tangible growth in Nigerian Content,” he stated.
The NCDMB had, last week released the list of nominees for the awards in the 12 identified categories – Nigerian Content Icon, Nigerian Content Lifetime Achievement Award, Nigerian Content International Upstream Operator of the Year, Nigerian Content Independent Upstream Operator of the Year, and Nigerian Content Midstream Operator of the Year.
Other listed categories are Nigerian Content Downstream, Operator of the Year, Nigerian Content International Service Company of the Year, Nigerian Content Indigenous Service Company of the Year, Nigerian Content Innovator of the Year, Nigerian Content Financial Services Provider of the Year, Nigerian Content Media Organisation of the Year, and Women in Leadership Award for Promoting Gender Equality and Empowerment.
The awards nominees include the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria, SPDC (Renaissance), Chevron, Exxon/SEPNU, Exxon-ESSO & SNEPCo in the International Oil Company (Upstream) category;Aradel, First E&P & Antan, and Heritage & NEPL (Independent Oil Company (Upstream) Operator category); Dangote, WRPC and PHRC/KRPC (Downstream Operator); NLNG, ACCUGAS (Savannah Energy) and UTM FLNG (Midstream Operator); as well as TechnipFMC & Saipem, Saipem Contracting and Daewoo & Halliburton (International Service Company).
Other nominees and their categories are Dorman Long, Compass Survey and Lee Engineering & Marine Platform (Indigenous Service Company); and NEXIM and Bank of Industry in the Financial Service Company category).
According to the organisers, the criteria for assessment of media are publishing NCDMB press releases, embellishing NCDMB press releases, generating individual reports on NCDMB activities, wide reach and spread.
The organisers listed proposed benefits/recognition for winners of the Upstream/Midstream/Downstream Operators awards as specially designed Award plaques, display of Award winners in a specially designated section in Nigerian Content, NC, Tower tagged “Hall of Fame” for 2 years and name conference seminar/ breakout room after them for 2 years.
Winners in the International and Indigenous companies categories and others will receive specially designed Award plaques, have their names displayed in a specially designated section in NC Tower tagged “Hall of Fame” for 2 years and get complimentary invitation to NCDMB flagship industry events for 1 year.
The Advisory Committee of Industry Titans overseeing the awards in order to uphold the awards’ prestige is made up of distinguished experts, including Dr. Ernest Nwapa, pioneer Executive Secretary, NCDMB; Dr. Omar Farouk, Secretary General, African Petroleum Producers Organization; Mr. Tony Attah, Chief Executive Officer/Managing Director, Renaissance Africa Energy Company and Mr. Wole Akinyosoye, former Zonal Operations Controller, Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR.
