*Photo:Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe*
The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, on Tuesday in Lagos underlined the centrality of collaboration and a shared vision as Africa’s oil- and gas-producing nations explore strategies for fostering local content and energy sufficiency to boost sustainable growth.
In a Keynote Address entitled “Africa’s Local Content Collaboration Strategy,” presented at the 10th Anniversary Edition of the Sub-Saharan International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (SAIPEC 2026), Engr. Ogbe said, “Our efforts cannot be siloed; they must be collective” to ensure not only real progress but consolidation of successes attained.
According to the NCDMB boss, collaboration between governments, private sector players, particularly captains of the oil and gas industry and financial institutions, as well as local communities, continues to demonstrate itself as the bedrock upon which Africa’s energy sector must build successful local content strategies.
Represented by the Director Corporate Services, Dr. Abdulmalik Halilu, the Executive Secretary disclosed that in Nigeria, which has hit 61 per cent in-country value retention within the last 15 years, the local content strategy has been deliberate and systematic. It began with deepening of indigenous participation in the oil and gas value chain, and then capacity building. Now, policies and guidelines have been introduced that prohibit the transfer of certification to intermediaries, he stated.
Engr. Ogbe explained that the current approach of the NCDMB is aimed at ensuring that the Board works with very competent and capable contractors a critical criterion in technical tenders.
At the continental level, he recalled the strategic commitment made by member countries of Africa Petroleum Producers Organisation (APPO) at their November 2025 meeting in Brazzaville, capital of Republic of the Congo, toward harmonisation of policies on local content development and collaboration in exploitation and utilisation of hydrocarbon resources.
The NCDMB boss emphasised that the countries must collectively leverage the Brazzaville Accord to promote regulatory harmonisation and sectoral cooperation, noting that “By working together across borders, industries, and sectors, we will be able to craft a robust, all-inclusive, and sustainable local content strategy that propels Africa’s energy sector to new and greater heights in a rapidly changing world.”
He expressed satisfaction with the success in the establishment of Africa Energy Bank (AEB), headquartered in Abuja, under the Africa Petroleum Producers Organisation (APPO), in partnership with Afreximbank. He described the development, which would significantly ease access to funding for energy sector projects in the continent as a strategic milestone, and called on all stakeholders, governments, investors and industry leaders to actively support the operational success of the Bank.
SAIPEC 2026, with over 1,200 delegates and 150 plus exhibitors from across the continent participating, is holding from February 10-12 at the Eko Convention Centre in Lagos.