Nations from Africa examine Nigeria's domestic development template, according to NCDMB

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board has revealed that its local content model is being studied by other African countries as they seek to establish their own frameworks.

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This development came to light during a recent visit by a delegation from the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation, who were hosted by the NCDMB to gain insight into Nigeria's local content development framework through a benchmarking and knowledge-sharing exercise.

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The Ghanaian delegation, which was led by Mr Eric Pwadura, the Director of Corporate Affairs at GNPC, was received at the NCDMB headquarters in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

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According to Dr Obinna Ezeobi, the General Manager of the Corporate Communications Division at NCDMB, the long-standing cooperation between Nigeria and Ghana in the energy sector has been further strengthened by the board's support for peer learning across Africa.

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Felix Ogbe, the Executive Secretary of NCDMB, emphasized that the vast hydrocarbon resources in Africa, which include over 120 billion barrels of crude oil reserves and 800 trillion standard cubic feet of gas, necessitate a focus on local content development to reduce dependence on foreign technology.

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Ogbe noted that Africa's hydrocarbon resources account for over 10 per cent of the global total, and that it is essential for producing countries to prioritize local content development and build internal capacity for exploration and production.

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He stressed that shifting away from over-reliance on external expertise is in the national interest of producing countries, and that Africa's youthful population can be a key advantage for industrial development if provided with the necessary skills.

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Representing Ogbe, Dr Abdulmalik Halilu, the Director of Corporate Services at NCDMB, highlighted the board's evolution from a policy directive under the defunct Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Local Content Division to a full-fledged institution.

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Ogbe stated that the NCDMB is the sole agency responsible for local content in Nigeria, and that the board has evolved from a policy to an institution, with the phrase "We have evolved from a policy to an institution" encapsulating this transformation.

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The NCDMB's Nigerian Content 10-Year Strategic Roadmap is structured around five strategic pillars, including technical capability development, compliance and enforcement, enabling business environment, organisational capability, and sectoral and regional markets, alongside key enablers such as funding and regulatory support.

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On the topic of capacity development, Ogbe highlighted the Nigerian Content Intervention Fund, which provides single-digit loans to indigenous service companies through the Bank of Industry and the Nigerian Export-Import Bank.

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He explained that this initiative has enabled local service companies to acquire critical assets, such as marine vessels, and has created access to make these companies competitive.

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Ogbe also noted that the board promotes the utilisation of built capacity through a First Consideration policy for Nigerian companies with proven capability, and emphasized that local content does not compromise standards, as it adheres to a single global standard.

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Ghana's Eric Pwadura expressed gratitude for the opportunity to learn from Nigeria's experience, acknowledging that Ghana's current local content structure is less developed, with only a local content unit within the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation.

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Pwadura stated that Ghana has legislation guiding local content, but lacks a robust local content environment, and expressed his desire to gain a deeper understanding of Nigeria's local content development programme.

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Earlier, Dr Obinna Ezeobi noted that the NCDMB has maintained strong partnerships with several African institutions, including memoranda of understanding with Ghana's Petroleum Commission, Senegal's ST-CNSCL, as well as agencies in Mozambique, Angola, and Namibia.