By Peace Udugba — The Daily Torch Media
The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and Dangote Group have called for a shift from regulatory compliance to sustainable Nigerian content development, emphasising the need for technological innovation, accessible financing and stronger indigenous capacity to drive industrial growth.
The call was made at a strategic retreat of the NCDMB/Dangote Joint Technical Committee (JTC) held in Lagos on Friday, October 16, 2026, under the theme, “Beyond Compliance: Partnering for Sustainable Nigerian Content Development.”
The meeting brought together stakeholders in the oil and gas industry and representatives of government institutions to discuss challenges affecting local participation and explore ways to strengthen indigenous businesses across Nigeria’s energy value chain.
Participants stressed that Nigerian content should go beyond meeting statutory requirements to become a sustainable economic strategy capable of creating jobs, developing technical expertise, strengthening local supply chains and retaining more value within the country.
NCDMB Identifies Technology, Financing as Growth Drivers
In his keynote address, the Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, represented by the Senior Technical Adviser and Director of Project Certification and Authorisation, Engr. Austin Uzoka, identified commitment, technology and financing as critical to building a resilient Nigerian content ecosystem.
Ogbe challenged industry stakeholders to consider how Nigeria could sustain major industrial investments, strengthen domestic supply chains and ensure that infrastructure projects deliver lasting economic benefits.
Using the country’s refining sector as a reference point, he stressed the need to develop local capabilities to support the continuous operation and maintenance of major industrial facilities, including the Dangote Refinery.
He noted that constructing world-class facilities was only part of the industrial development process, adding that Nigeria must also develop the indigenous expertise, goods, services and supply chains required to sustain such investments.
According to him, weak domestic supply chains could limit local value creation and cause a significant portion of the economic benefits of industrial investments to flow outside the country.
On technology, Ogbe emphasised the importance of developing Nigerian professionals capable of operating, maintaining and sustaining complex industrial facilities without indefinite dependence on foreign expertise.
He also identified access to finance as a major challenge facing indigenous businesses, noting that high interest rates and delays in obtaining funding could prevent local companies from executing projects, expanding their operations and competing effectively in the oil and gas industry.
Ogbe further called for measures to encourage the emergence of more large-scale indigenous industrialists, including investors interested in establishing refineries and related facilities.
While acknowledging Dangote Group’s contribution to Nigeria’s industrial development, he urged stakeholders to support emerging investors and strengthen domestic refining capacity to position the country as a major player in the oil and gas sector.
NCDMB Highlights Nigerian Content Compliance Requirements
In his presentation, the Director of Planning, Research and Statistics and Chairman of the NCDMB/Dangote Joint Technical Committee, Mr Omomehin Ajimijaye, urged contractors, vendors and service providers operating within the Dangote business ecosystem to comply with Nigerian content requirements.
He encouraged industry participants to register on the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Joint Qualification System (NOGICJQS), which supports supplier registration, prequalification and verification of technical capabilities.
Ajimijaye explained that the regulatory framework was designed to promote business growth and indigenous participation rather than create unnecessary bureaucratic obstacles.
He identified four key areas of compliance: Nigerian content planning, workforce localisation, local procurement and capacity development.
Under these requirements, companies bidding for projects are expected to submit Nigerian content plans outlining how they intend to maximise local participation.
Employers are also expected to prioritise qualified Nigerians, procure locally available goods and services, and invest in skills development and technology transfer.
On expatriate employment, Ajimijaye explained that foreign professionals could be engaged where genuine skills gaps existed. However, companies were expected to work with the Board to establish those gaps and develop succession plans to prepare Nigerians to assume such positions.
He said reliable industry data obtained through NOGICJQS would help identify skills shortages, connect businesses with qualified professionals and guide training investments towards areas of greatest need.
Ajimijaye also commended Dangote Group for collaborating with NCDMB since around 2019 to develop the capacity of Nigerians through training programmes delivered locally and overseas.
He noted that some beneficiaries had subsequently secured employment within the group’s businesses.
Nigerian Content Initiatives Retain Over $10bn
Ajimijaye disclosed that Nigerian content interventions had retained more than $10 billion in the Nigerian economy, generated over 50,000 direct and indirect jobs, and supported more than 50 million man-hours of training.
However, he said in-country value retention stood at approximately 61 per cent, below the 70 per cent target.
He called for stronger collaboration among regulators, operators, contractors and service providers to close the gap and increase the proportion of industry value retained within Nigeria.
The NCDMB director also highlighted the importance of sustained investment in research and development to stimulate indigenous innovation, improve competitiveness and enable Nigerian companies to export technical expertise.
He urged industry stakeholders to view Nigerian content not merely as a regulatory obligation but as an opportunity to expand businesses, develop local expertise and build a more competitive domestic energy industry.
Dangote Group Calls for National Commitment
In his welcome address, the Group Vice President of Dangote Group, Dr Edwin Devakumar, called for a fundamental shift from a compliance-driven approach to a culture of national responsibility, ownership and commitment.
He argued that laws and regulations alone could not deliver sustainable Nigerian content unless individuals, businesses and institutions genuinely embraced the responsibility of building the country’s productive capacity.
“For sustainable Nigerian content development to succeed, it must not be seen as a regulatory burden. Every individual must regard it as something they genuinely want to do from the bottom of their heart,” he said.
Devakumar stressed that local content development should extend beyond sourcing raw materials to include skills transfer, workforce development and the growth of indigenous contractors into businesses capable of executing increasingly complex projects.
He maintained that a stronger commitment to developing local expertise would help Nigerian businesses participate more meaningfully in industrial projects and strengthen the country’s productive capacity.
NCDMB Seeks Better Coordination Among Regulators
The Director of Legal Services at NCDMB, Dr Naboth Onyesoh, called for stronger coordination among government institutions responsible for investment facilitation, petroleum regulation and Nigerian content compliance.
He said inter-agency engagement was necessary to clarify statutory responsibilities, eliminate unnecessary duplication and develop practical solutions to operational challenges.
Onyesoh explained that the investment-promotion responsibilities of the Oil and Gas Free Zones Authority (OGFZA) did not override the statutory mandates of other government institutions.
He noted that incentives provided to attract investment and improve the ease of doing business in free zones did not exempt operators from applicable federal laws.
Depending on the nature of their operations, petroleum businesses remained subject to relevant requirements administered by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority and NCDMB.
He also highlighted the roles of the Central Bank of Nigeria, customs and immigration authorities in facilitating financial transactions, monitoring goods and ensuring compliance with applicable regulations.
Reaffirming the importance of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act, 2010, Onyesoh said the legislation remained central to promoting indigenous participation, technology transfer, employment and domestic value retention.
He cautioned against interpretations that could exclude companies operating in free zones from contributing to local capacity development and the growth of Nigerian businesses.
“An incentive regime is a business advantage; it is not a regulatory exception,” he said.
Onyesoh also highlighted the Board’s efforts to strengthen indigenous maritime capacity through the Nigerian Content Intervention Fund, which supports local companies in acquiring vessels and expanding their operations.
He disclosed that the Nigerian Content Fund was partnering with Nigeria LNG Limited on a shipyard project at Snake Island to strengthen domestic industrial capacity.
He further commended the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) for collaborating with NCDMB on vessel verification and indigenous participation in maritime operations.
The NCDMB legal director urged OGFZA and other agencies to strengthen regular engagement, information sharing and joint resolution of operational challenges.
According to him, coordinated regulation would improve the business environment, strengthen investor confidence, create jobs and increase the economic benefits Nigeria derives from its oil and gas resources.
JTC Calls for Stronger Indigenous Participation
Earlier, the Alternate Chairperson of the NCDMB/Dangote Joint Technical Committee, Dr Ebele Oputa, described the retreat as an opportunity for stakeholders to strengthen collaboration around a shared objective of placing Nigerians at the centre of industrial development.
She acknowledged the contributions of participating government agencies and commended Devakumar for his longstanding commitment to Nigeria and investment in the development of young Nigerians.
Oputa noted that his more than 33 years in Nigeria and contributions to Nigerian content development had supported the collaboration between the Board and Dangote Group.
The retreat reaffirmed the importance of collaboration among government institutions, industry operators and indigenous businesses in building a sustainable Nigerian content framework.
Stakeholders emphasised that achieving the country’s industrial ambitions would require more than regulatory enforcement. Sustained investment in technology, workforce development, financing and local supply chains would be critical to ensuring that Nigerian businesses capture greater value from the country’s oil and gas industry.
Tags: NCDMB, Dangote Group, Nigerian Content, Oil and Gas, Dangote Refinery, Local Content, Industrial Development.
