Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, NCDMB, has issued a strong warning to oil and gas operators, insisting that non-compliance with the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act, NOGICDA, now carries significant business and financial risks; including fines, project suspension, and possible prosecution.
Speaking at the NLNG Nigerian Content Stakeholders’ Retreat and Appreciation Night 2025, NCDMB officials said the Board is tightening enforcement across project certification, community contracting, and value domiciliation as part of efforts to deepen host community participation and protect Nigeria’s economic interests.
Mr. Ismail Abubakar of NCDMB’s Monitoring and Evaluation Department stressed that the essence of Nigerian Content is often misunderstood, warning companies against deliberately misinterpreting the law.
“The essence of Nigerian Content is not the Nigerianisation of the oil and gas sector,” he said. “It is about domesticating and domiciling value-adding activities within Nigeria to grow our economy.”
He listed the Board’s critical monitoring focus areas and declared that operators who undermine the Act should be ready for consequences.
“Non-compliance attracts project suspension, contract cancellation, punitive CDIs, fines, and where necessary, prosecution under the criminal provisions of the NOGICD Act,” Abubakar warned.
In his presentation titled “Promoting Host Communities’ Participation in the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry,” Mr. Augustine Timbiri, Manager of NCDMB’s Rivers Zonal Office, said the Board is intensifying efforts to ensure host communities become real economic beneficiaries of oil and gas operations.
Timbiri said the Board’s mandate goes beyond policy enforcement; it includes expanding commercial participation, supporting community contractors, and stabilising operating environments.
“Our goal is to promote increased participation of host communities in oil and gas activities,” he said. “We are committed to capacity development, trust-building, seamless service delivery, stronger collaboration, and sustained peace for uninterrupted operations.”
He outlined the Community Content Guidelines, community contractor verification requirements, and the operational frameworks that define how host communities must be engaged.
Mr. Ogede Elvis of NCDMB’s Project Certification and Authorization Division, PCAD, said community contractors must rise to global standards to take advantage of emerging opportunities, especially with NLNG’s growing investment pipelines.
Presenting on “Tendering and Compliance for Community Vendors in Contracting,” he explained PCAD’s functions, tendering requirements, and enablers designed to support local contractors.
“PCAD’s vision is clear: to maximize Nigerian Content value in every project executed within the oil and gas industry,” Elvis stated.
He added that PCAD’s mission remains centred on extracting firm Nigerian Content commitments from operators before project sanction or contract award.
“We ensure operators comply with the NOGICD Act 2010, and we expect community vendors to meet tendering and technical standards to participate competitively,” he said.
