Nigerian content in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry has increased from five per cent in 2010 to 61 per cent, according to the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB).
The Executive Secretary of the NCDMB, Felix Ogbe, disclosed this in a speech delivered at the 2026 Association of Energy Correspondents of Nigeria (NAEC) Conference in Lagos on Thursday, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported.
Ogbe, who was represented by the board’s General Manager, Corporate Communications, Dr Obinna Ezeobi, said the next phase of the Nigerian content drive would focus on making indigenous companies competitive enough to operate and export their capabilities globally.
- “The next frontier is about being competitive,” he said.
Nigerian content rises to 61%
Ogbe said the increase in Nigerian content reflects the progress made in developing local capacity across the oil and gas value chain over the past 16 years.
However, he said the industry must now move beyond ensuring that Nigerian companies participate in domestic projects to building firms capable of competing internationally.
- “It is not enough to have the capacity to operate in Nigeria. It is not enough to have Nigerian content and products.
- “Going forward, Nigerian companies need to be competitive and able to operate across the globe,” he said.
NCDMB targets globally competitive firms
Ogbe said the board was strengthening indigenous companies through financing, equipment development, research and development and strategic partnerships.
The NCDMB is also promoting local manufacturing of oil and gas equipment to reduce dependence on imported components and strengthen the domestic supply chain.
According to him, the board is linking Nigerian companies with foreign firms and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to improve technical capabilities and provide access to wider markets.
He added that the NCDMB was creating opportunities for Nigerian companies to expand into other African markets.
The focus, he said, is to ensure that Nigerian content evolves from participation in domestic projects into the development of companies that can compete for business globally.
Indigenous operators still face funding, approval challenges
Chairman of NAEC, Ugo Amadi, said indigenous operators continued to face challenges in developing oil and gas assets.
He identified high entry costs, lengthy approval processes and funding constraints as major barriers to greater indigenous participation.
Amadi said addressing these challenges would help unlock investment, expand local capacity and increase oil and gas production.
Backstory
The NCDMB has continued to enforce local content requirements as part of efforts to increase Nigerian participation in the oil and gas value chain.
In 2025, the board renewed its directive to operators, contractors and service providers in the upstream sector to comply with the mandatory one per cent deduction for the Nigerian Content Development Fund (NCDF) on qualifying contracts.
In February 2025, the NCDMB also insisted that international oil companies must patronise local firms in executing their projects, in line with the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act.
The rise in Nigerian content from five per cent in 2010 to 61 per cent marks a significant increase in local participation.
