– Bags ‘Local Content Champion’ award
Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, NCDMB, has reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to advancing Nigerian content, expanding indigenous participation, and sustaining future-ready investments across the nation’s oil, gas, and energy sectors.
This came as the Board was honoured with the “Local Content Champion of the Year” award at the 2025 Annual Energy Conference of the Association of Energy Correspondents of Nigeria, NAEC, held in Lagos.
Representing the Executive Secretary, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, the General Manager, Corporate Communications, Dr. Obinna Ezeobi, received the award and delivered the Board’s goodwill message, reaffirming the agency’s strategic focus on innovation, collaboration, and transparency in driving Nigeria’s energy future.
Dr. Ezeobi, in his remarks, described the recognition as a validation of the Board’s tireless efforts to strengthen local capacity and promote sustainable participation of Nigerian firms in the global energy value chain.
“NCDMB has been a close friend and partner of NAEC since its establishment in 2010 under the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act,” he stated.
“Our achievements over the years have been enabled by the strong communication support of the media. Section 67 of the NOGICD Act mandates us to promote Nigerian content, and communication, both above and below the line, is central to achieving that goal.”
Reaffirming the Board’s partnership with the media, Ezeobi assured that NCDMB will continue to collaborate with NAEC and other communication stakeholders to expand public awareness and enhance the impact of local content implementation.
“We will continue to cooperate with NAEC, support its programmes, and sustain partnerships that advance the national energy conversation. The NCDMB remains one of the strongest allies of the Nigerian media,” he affirmed.
Highlighting the Board’s strategic direction, the NCDMB representative disclosed that over 60 per cent of its investments are concentrated in the gas value chain, aligning with the Federal Government’s Decade of Gas initiative and energy transition goals.
“About 60 per cent of NCDMB’s investments are in the gas value chain. We have streamlined the Nigerian contracting cycle from nine to five touchpoints in line with presidential directives to enhance efficiency. We have also disbursed the Nigerian Content Intervention Fund to empower indigenous firms and remodelled the Community Contractors Fund to benefit host community contractors.”
He emphasized that these measures underscore NCDMB’s commitment to ensuring Nigerian companies remain resilient, competitive, and future-ready amid global shifts toward low-carbon energy.
“These interventions reflect our vision to make Nigerian firms globally competitive while deepening participation in emerging energy opportunities,” Ezeobi said.
Earlier, the Chairman of NAEC, Mr. Ugo Amadi, described the association as a strategic platform for energy communication, policy dialogue, and transparency, reinforcing investor confidence in Nigeria’s energy ecosystem.
“The theme of this year’s conference, ‘Nigeria’s Energy Future: Optimising Opportunities and Addressing Risks for Sustainable Growth’, reflects our collective responsibility to address bottlenecks that hinder the nation’s full resource potential,” Amadi stated.
“NAEC has remained committed to driving accurate reporting, accountability, and engagement across the industry.”
Chairman of the 2025 NAEC Energy Conference and President of Masters Energy Group, Dr. Uchechukwu Ogah, in his remarks, called for pragmatic reforms and sustained policy consistency to drive Nigeria’s energy transition and unlock new investment frontiers.
“Nigeria’s energy future is not a choice between opportunity and risk; it is a challenge to navigate both dynamics together. Success demands a multi-pronged strategy that leverages our strengths while confronting our vulnerabilities head-on.”
Ogah further acknowledged the transformative potential of the Petroleum Industry Act, PIA 2021 and the Electricity Act 2023, urging full implementation through coordinated stakeholder engagement.
The Chief Executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, NUPRC, Engr. Gbenga Komolafe, represented by Paul Osu, disclosed that deliberate reforms anchored on transparency and technology are driving a major rebound in Nigeria’s upstream sector.
“The rebound in Nigeria’s upstream is no accident; it’s a product of deliberate design anchored on transparency, efficiency, and inclusiveness,” Komolafe said.
He noted that the Commission had reprocessed over 17,000 kilometres of 2D and 28,000 square kilometres of 3D seismic data, unlocking new exploration prospects.
Komolafe also announced the introduction of a digital licensing regime that reduced signature bonuses from $100 million to $10 million, making Nigeria’s upstream more attractive to investors and cutting approval timelines.
Similarly, the Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, NMDPRA, Engr. Farouk Ahmed, represented by George Ene-Ita, reaffirmed that gas remains the backbone of Nigeria’s energy transition, with proven reserves of 210.54 trillion cubic feet and flaring rates down to 7.16 per cent, the lowest in years.
Industry operators at the event also shared updates on sustainability initiatives and contributions to Nigeria’s cleaner energy goals.
SEEPCO’s Chief General Manager, Dr. Chris Offokansi, said over 90 per cent of the company’s fleet now runs on natural gas, resulting in a 25 per cent emissions reduction, alongside tree-planting and waste management initiatives across host communities.
Oriental Energy Resources Limited’s Head of External Affairs, Kazim Koleoso, announced that the firm achieved 3.35 million man-hours without a Lost Time Incident and will commence production from its new EMEM FPSO in Q1 2026, contributing to the nation’s production target of one million additional barrels per day.
From First E&P, Head of Corporate Communications, Tomiwa Akande-Ayeni, disclosed that its joint venture with NNPC Limited produces 57,000 barrels per day, reaffirming commitment to responsible upstream operations and gas development.
Similarly, Chevron Nigeria Limited’s Communications Manager, Victor Anyaegbudike, reaffirmed the company’s dedication to local content and sustainability.
“Chevron awards over $1 billion yearly to Nigerian firms and has reduced gas flaring by 97 per cent. We are also investing in people, over 400 journalists have been trained under our media capacity-building initiative since 2014.”
The 2025 NAEC Energy Conference, which drew participants from government agencies, operators, civil society, and the media, reinforced the growing alignment between policy, regulation, and industry practice toward energy security, sustainability, and local empowerment.
