Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — Nigeria’s drive to build an indigenous industrial base capable of serving the global energy market has received a major boost, as the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, NCDMB, declared that the rapid rise of Tamrose Limited represents “clear evidence” that local content is now translating into full-scale industrialisation.
Speaking at the Nigerian Content Tower in Yenagoa, the Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, said the company’s transformation, from four vessels in 2019 to a 15-vessel fleet now operating across Africa, shows the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act, NOGICDA, is achieving its long-term objective of building Nigerian-owned industrial capacity.
“Tamrose Limited stands as clear evidence that our approach is delivering results,” Ogbe said.
“This is what Nigeria can become when we place our confidence in indigenous talent, Nigerian ownership, and the capacity of our people.”
Ogbe explained that Nigerian Content is no longer about token participation but about building a strong industrial ecosystem powered by Nigerian capital and technology.
“Our strategic direction is to increase Nigerian participation in the gas value chain, strengthen our role in renewables, expand the blue economy, and build a strong industrial base powered by Nigerian innovation,” he added.
The Executive Secretary announced that, on the back of the success of the Nigerian Content Intervention Fund, NCI Fund, a new product, the Nigerian Content Equity Fund, NCEF, will be unveiled in December to provide long-term risk capital to qualified Nigerian companies.
Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, also underscored the industrialisation impact of the NCI Fund, noting that Tamrose’s rise reflects the kind of indigenous capability the Act was designed to create.
“The NCI Fund was created to strengthen local capacity not only to service the oil and gas industry in Nigeria but also globally,” he said.
“Tamrose is an example of the kind of indigenous companies we want to see, companies that grow capacity, build fleets, and compete internationally.”
Lokpobiri applauded Tamrose’s expansion to Angola and its repayment of the US$10 million facility in full, describing the milestone as proof that indigenous companies can grow into industrial giants when supported with the right financing.
“It is a thing of joy to celebrate this partnership between NCDMB and Tamrose. They have shown what Nigerian companies can do when given structured support.”
In his address, Tamrose Executive Chairman, Ambrose Ovbiebo, said the company’s growth validates the industrialisation mission behind the NOGICD Act.
“The support we received has not just been pivotal, it has become a foundation for our evolution. From a small team, we have grown into the trusted partner of some of the most respected international and independent oil and gas companies globally.”
He noted that the company’s expansion from four to 15 offshore vessels, alongside its operation in Nigeria and Angola, demonstrates how Nigerian companies can move from local players to continental operators.
“This growth is not just about fleet expansion. It is about building Nigerian capacity, creating Nigerian jobs, and showing that a Nigerian marine logistics company can compete on the global stage.”
He added that the company’s workforce had grown from 50 to 244 employees, with more than 100 cadets trained for global deployment.
Representatives of the Bank of Industry and NIMASA also commended Tamrose for demonstrating how access to Nigerian Content financing can catalyse industrial growth.
With the launch of the upcoming Nigerian Content Equity Fund, the NCDMB says it aims to support more Nigerian companies to replicate Tamrose’s industrial success story.
