Engr. Felix Ogbe, Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, announced the 56% local content achievement at the opening of the 13th Practical Nigerian Content Forum in Bayelsa on Tuesday.

Speaking on the theme, “Defining the Next Frontier of Nigerian Content Implementation, the ES stated that the success reflected significant progress since the establishment of the NOGICD Act in 2010 by the Board.

According to him, the country’s content transits from 20 percent in 2016 to 56 percent in 2024.

The ES also outlined key initiatives under his leadership aimed at achieving the Board’s 70% local content target by 2027.

Among these is the Back to the Creek initiative, designed to enhance human capacity in oil and gas host communities through scholarships for higher education.

He also announced plans to revise the Community Contractor Fund, allocating ₦15 billion to help overcome obstacles faced by community contractors, with a reduced interest rate of 5% per annum.

“This initiative addresses a critical challenge faced by local contractors—limited access to funding for contracts awarded by oil and gas companies,” he said.

The Board has therefore increased the single obligor limit from ₦20 million to ₦100 million to ease access to funding.

Additionally, the Board plans to launch the Nigerian Content Academy, based at its Bayelsa State headquarters, to bolster the skills of local operators in the oil and gas sector.

“The academy offers a wide range of courses covering every aspect of the oil and gas industry and serves as a beacon of hope for employment,” the Executive Secretary added.

The Executive Secretary highlighted that the Board’s programs are designed to equip Nigerians with the skills needed for diverse roles in the oil and gas sector, creating new career paths and economic opportunities for local communities.

He also announced plans to establish modern Zonal Offices in Akwa Ibom, Rivers, and Delta States.

According to him, “The Zonal Offices will enable us to deploy personnel across various directorates, ensuring they operate fully from these locations and make the offices fully operational.”

He therefore highlighted several key achievements of the Board, including the commissioning of Amal Technologies in Idu, Abuja, and the Kwale Gas Gathering facility in Delta State.

He noted that 312 Nigerian Content Plans were approved, and 402 Nigerian Content Compliance Certificates (NCCCs) were issued.

Additionally, the new PCAD contracting guidelines, which reduced touchpoints from 9 to 5, have cut the contracting cycle to six months.

In terms of strategic partnerships, the Board unveiled Bell Oil and Gas’ 50,000 metric-ton integrated Oil Country Tubular Goods (OCTG) facility at the Lekki Free Trade Zone, and commissioned Daewoo’s 10,000 MT capacity galvanizing plant.

Other notable partnerships include the establishment of the Nigeria Oil and Gas Park Scheme (NOGaPS) in Bayelsa, Cross River, and Akwa Ibom states, and the commissioning of a 300 MMSCFD gas gathering and injection facility in Kwale, Delta State in partnership with NedoGas.

In collaboration with Butane Energy, the Board also commissioned a 180-metric-tonne LPG filling plant in Kaduna and a 100-metric-tonne LPG storage and bottling plant in Katsina State.

On human capital development, the Board initiated cadetship training for 63 cadets on foreign-going vessels, and launched an internship program with Shell and PETAN, which trained 49 graduate engineers, geologists, and geoscientists.

The Nigerian Content Human Capital Development (NC-HCD) Basic Training for 331 Nigerians was also commenced for the NLNG Train 7 Project.

In addition, the Board completed and commissioned an Engineering Design Studio and Information Hub at the Federal University of Owerri (FUTO) in Imo State, in collaboration with NLNG, and an E-Library at the Niger Delta University in Amassoma, Bayelsa State, in partnership with SPDC and its JV partners.