Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — In a move to deepen local content development and boost Nigeria’s energy infrastructure, the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, NCDMB, and the Nigerian Gas Infrastructure Company Limited, NGIC, have opened talks on a strategic partnership focused on collaborative project execution, capacity building, and gas sector growth.
At a high-level meeting held in Abuja, both organizations agreed in principle to explore areas of alignment, particularly in the midstream gas sector, including critical infrastructure like the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano, AKK, pipeline and the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas, NLNG, pipelines.
Speaking, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, Executive Secretary of NCDMB, pointed to the Board’s successful collaboration with Betagas as a working model, noting that it has already accelerated progress in gas-based projects.
“We believe that partnerships like this are essential to achieving our national objectives — not just in local content development but in ensuring energy security, boosting gas supply, and creating jobs.
“We want to replicate that success in other areas and we see NGIC as a strategic player. But it’s also important that smaller Nigerian companies aren’t left behind in the value chain,” he added.
In his remarks, NGIC Managing Director, Mr. Mustapha M. Anas, said the visit was driven by the company’s commitment to aligning its infrastructure projects with local content imperatives and the broader economic goals of the country.
“We are building long-term assets like the AKK pipeline, but these must also translate to tangible local benefits. That’s where this collaboration with NCDMB becomes very critical,” Anas noted.
The NGIC team also emphasized that collaboration with NCDMB could help streamline regulatory processes, ensure skilled Nigerian participation in pipeline and infrastructure development, and catalyze gas monetization efforts across the country.
“We see this engagement as a foundation for something much bigger and possibly joint development initiatives, shared data, and knowledge exchange that will strengthen the gas infrastructure ecosystem in Nigeria,” said Mr. Audu Ibrahim, Executive Director of projects at NGIC.
Both organizations resolved to establish a framework for follow-up meetings that would refine specific areas of cooperation and develop a joint action plan. These would include mechanisms for knowledge transfer, best practices exchange, and project mapping aligned with each institution’s mandate.
“We’re not just looking for handshake engagements, we want something impactful, something that will stand the test of time,” said Alhaji Abdulmalik Halilu, NCDMB’s Director of Monitoring and Evaluation.
The initiative, according to NCDMB, is expected to contribute to President Bola Tinubu’s energy transition agenda and push Nigeria closer toward its goals of gas-based industrialization and inclusive economic growth.
